‘Corrupt CM removed to appoint another corrupt CM’: Congress on Yediyurappa

The resignation of B.S. Yediyurappa as Karnataka chief minister on Monday morning has not impressed the Congress, the largest opposition party in the state.

Yediyurappa resigned after delivering an emotional speech at an event to mark the second anniversary of the current BJP government’s rise to power. The cabinet was dissolved following Yediyurappa's resignation. Yediyurappa will remain caretaker chief minister till the BJP legislature party meets to decide on a replacement. A meeting of the BJP legislature party is yet to be scheduled even as speculation continues on who will step into Yediyurappa's shoes.

With Yediyurappa's fate having been in the balance for months now, the Congress wasted no time to target the BJP over the political change.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah tweeted, "There is no benefit for the common man if one corrupt CM is removed to make another corrupt as CM. Instead the whole BJP party, which is responsible for the miseries of people, should be ousted."

Siddaramaiah accused the BJP of being busy in "power politics" even as devastating floods have hit the state. "Crops have been destroyed in many districts due to floods & 9 people have lost their lives. It is unfortunate that the representatives of the govt are busy in power politics instead of helping the people in distress," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala used the issue of Yediyurappa’s resignation to question the “character” of the BJP. Surjewala asked, “Will merely changing the face change the diabolical character of BJP Govt synonymous with mal governance and decay.”

Surjewala also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “habitually” insulting and “compulsorily” throwing senior BJP leaders into the “dustbin of history”. Surjewala cited the names of L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Keshubhai Patel, Shanta Kumar, Yashwant Sinha, Sumitra Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti, C.P.Thakur, A.K. Patel, Haren Pandya, Harin Pathak and Kalyan Singh. Surjewala added, “Latest victims are Dr. Harshvardhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sushil Modi”.

Surjewala claimed, “We now know that Delhi’s autocracy decides CM’s and not the will of BJP’s MLAs”.