BS Yeddyurappa wants to retain separate identity, open to Lok Sabha seat sharing

NEW DELHI: Former Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa will wait and watch before taking any decision on merging his Karnataka Janata Party with BJP, but is open to having seat adjustments with it in the Lok Sabha elections.

“It was unanimously decided to retain the identity of KJP. We may have seat adjustments during Lok Sabha elections,” the party’s campaign committee chairman Dhananjay Kumar told ET on Thursday. The decision was taken at a meeting of KJP in Bangalore.

A KJP leader said the overwhelming mood among the members was that Yeddyurappa or BSY, a Lingayat community leader who built BJP in Karnataka and led it to victory in the 2008 assembly elections before exiting it in an acrimonious parting, should not take any decision in a hurry on merging the party with BJP. Some KJP leaders were of the view that BJP’s efforts to woo their leader were more in its own political interest and Yeddyurappa should take a “right decision at the appropriate time”.

State BJP leaders have been in touch with Yeddyurappa for a possible merger of the two parties. BJP was routed in the assembly elections in May. Yeddyurappa’s party got 10% of the votes, harming BJP.

Yeddyurappa was quoted by a news agency as saying that his party has decided not to merge with any political party in the state, but was open for seat adjustment with like minded parties like third front or BJP for the Lok Sabha elections.

“The party has discussed in detail and come to a clear understanding that it should keep its separate identity and should not merge with any political party. However, we are open to seat adjustment in Lok Sabha elections,” he told reporters here.

Yeddyurappa has also welcomed BJP leader Narendra Modi’s elevation as BJP’s campaign committee chief.