Yatnal accuses Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and Kumaraswamy of “adjustment politics”

PTI, May 6, 2022, 2:14 PM IST

Outspoken BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday alleged ”adjustment politics” between top political leaders of Karnataka from different parties like B S Yediyurappa of BJP, Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar of Congress, and H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S).

The Vijayapura City MLA accused them of favouring each other, no matter whoever is in power.

”Some of these people from different parties have adjustment, a tall leader of BJP (Yediyurappa), D K Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy all these people have adjustment. I have said in the assembly too that all you leaders sitting in the front seats have adjustment. All of you Yediyurappa, Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar, Kumaraswamy speak at night,” Yatnal said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, legislators like him who sit in the back seats, ”like fools speak about their respective party leaders, keeping them in high regard.” ”I have told them to shut their drama company. After Shikaripura, (Yediyurappa’s constituency) highest development grants have gone to Badami (represented by Siddaramaiah), then it was given to Shivakumar, when Yediyurappa was CM. We, BJP MLAs are not elected to just raise our hands….after raising the issue, Bommai as CM gave Rs 500 crore to my constituency,” he added.

Yatnal also alleged that power brokers from Delhi had told him to pay Rs 2,500 crore bribe to become chief minister.

A known Yediyurappa critic, Yatnal was among the first to predict the state BJP strongman’ s exit from the CM post.

Yatnal in response to a question said, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had to resign as Minister following a sex CD scandal, should be made a Minister once again, as he has contributed for BJP coming to power in the state.

”There was a conspiracy to fix him (Jarkiholi), the son of one of our (BJP) tall leaders was also involved in the conspiracy along with Congress leaders like D K Shivakumar,” he alleged.

The former Union Minister also said that like one man-one post rule in the BJP, a day will also come where there will be one family-one ticket rule, so that party workers also get the ticket to contest polls.

Reacting to Yatnal’s statement, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar said that the allegations made by Yatnal are a serious issue and must be investigated.

“Yatnal is a sitting MLA and his remarks can’t be taken lightly. There must be a national debate on this. BJP national president J P Nadda must look into the matter,” Shivakumar told reporters.