Give up power if you can't rule, Yeddyurappa tells Cong-JD(S) coalition
Bengaluru, Jun 7: Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa Friday asked the Congress-JD(S) to give up power if it cannot run the government and asserted that his party would govern in case the coalition collapses and would make sure there is no mid-term polls.
The former chief minister said no one has confidence that the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government would last long.
"Kumaraswamy's son (Nikhil) has asked JD(S) workers to prepare for election. I'm saying that there won't be election at any cost. It has been just a year (since assembly elections). We (BJP) have 105 legislators, if they can, let them govern, if they can't let them give up, we will govern," Yeddyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters at Hubballi, he said, "There is no question of going for fresh elections for any reason. We will not agree to it. We will go to election only after five years. No one has confidence that this government will continue for long, let's wait and see."
Yeddyurappa was reacting to a video doing the rounds on social media in which Nikhil can be heard purportedly asking JD(S)workers to prepare themselves for assembly polls, saying one doesn't know when it would come.
Boasting about BJP's performance in the state in the Lok Sabha polls, Yeddyurappa had last week said, it would be "better" if the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition in the state dissolves the assembly and goes for fresh polls.
However, he had subsequently retracted, saying the BJP would wait for the Congress-JD(S) government to collapse on its own due to "infighting".
Buoyed by the party's victory in the Lok Sabha polls, Yeddyurappa Friday began his three-day tour to drought-hit areas of north Karnataka, aimed at cornering the coalition government over its alleged failure in managing the situation.
The Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly hit out at Chief Minister's scheduled 'Grama Vastavaiya' (overnight stay in villages) programme to make the administration more effective, and termed it as "political circus".
"Is there any meaning to CM's Grama Vastvya? Last time (in Kumaraswamy's previous tenure as CM) when he did Grama Vastavaiya he had promised to give Rs 1 crore to villages he visited. but he did not give. What is the situation of those villages today?" he questioned.
"Instead, the CM should visit drought-affected areas, understand the issues there and solve them, other than that staying overnight at village schools and claiming that- I'm doing Grama Vastavaiya. Is it necessary today? He has to question himself. People won't like it. It's a kind of political circus to shift focus of the people from core issues," he said.
Kumaraswamy is scheduled to begin his Grama Vastavaiya from June 21 at Gurmitkal taluk in Yadgir district. The next day, he is scheduled to be at Afzalpur taluk in Kalaburagi district.
On June 28 and 29, he will be at Sindhanur of Raichur and Bidar's Basavakalyana, respectively.
Continuing his party's opposition to the government's decision regarding the sale of 3,667 acres of land to JSW Steel in Ballari at a low price, Yeddyurappa, alleging some kind of foul play in it on part of Kumaraswamy, said the BJP has planned massive protests against it on June 13, 14 and 15.
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Late flourish masks CSK’s batting woes on lively Chepauk track, hosts post 158/7
Chennai (PTI): Bowlers calling the shots in a format dominated by big hitters is a rarity, but that script played out at Chepauk on Sunday as Gujarat Titans exploited a lively, bounce-friendly surface to stifle Chennai Super Kings before the hosts managed a late flourish to reach 158 for 7.
On a pitch that offered sharp carry, stroke-making demanded discretion and adaptability. Instead, CSK’s batters often opted for high-risk shots without fully assessing conditions, and paid the price with a flurry of miscued dismissals.
Invited to bat, CSK never quite found rhythm but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s maiden half-century (74 not out) of the current IPL season lent a semblance of respectability to the total in a season where 200-plus scores have become commonplace.
Gaikwad's knock came off 60 balls with six fours and four sixes after a laboured start.
The tone was set early by GT pacer Mohammed Siraj, who extracted steep bounce and forced errors.
Sanju Samson (11) began watchfully, negotiating the first over before opening up against Kagiso Rabada to bring up his 5000 IPL runs milestone. However, Rabada’s bounce soon accounted for him as a hard slash outside off resulted in a faint edge that Jos Buttler pouched safely.
The dismissal triggered a collapse. Urvil Patel (4) fell in the same Rabada over attempting an ambitious pull, while Sarfaraz Khan (0) succumbed to Siraj’s extra lift, mistiming a short ball to offer a simple catch.
At 28 for 3 inside the Powerplay, CSK were already in trouble.
Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis (2) needed to rebuild, but the latter’s impatience against spinner Manav Suthar led to his downfall, holing out after failing to get to the pitch of the ball.
The mounting wickets forced Gaikwad into a shell — an approach that, while understandable, further stalled the momentum. His reluctance to improvise allowed dot balls to pile up, with CSK reaching 50 only in the 12th over.
The skipper eventually broke free, taking on Arshad Khan and Jason Holder with a couple of towering sixes, but the acceleration came too late.
Shivam Dube, dropped thrice on 6, 11 and 22, struggled for fluency before Arshad cleaned him up.
Kartik Sharma (15) and Jamie Overton (18) provided late impetus with a few lusty hits, but the damage had already been done.
On a pitch that rewarded discipline and smart shot selection, Titans' bowlers executed their plans to perfection, while CSK’s batters failed to read the conditions in time, a lapse that ultimately defined the innings.
