Will complete term and lead BJP in 2023 Assembly polls: CM Basavaraj Bommai
New Delhi, Oct 8: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai exuded confidence on Friday that he will complete his term and lead the BJP in the 2023 state Assembly polls with the backing of the central leadership and strong party principles.
Admitting that certain lobbies tried to dominate the southern state's politics with money power in the past and are doing so even now, he said the "silver lining" is that the people of Karnataka have overthrown them with their mandate.
While leaders from the Lingayat community have played a key role in building the BJP in Karnataka, a lot of people from other castes like Vokkaliga, SCs, STs and OBCs have also joined the saffron party and are contributing a lot, Bommai said.
Addressing the "India Today Conclave" here, he said he is "most secured" since his childhood when asked if he has any fear of his government being toppled overnight like it happened in the state in the past.
The BJP leader said his father S R Bommai's tenure as the Karnataka chief minister lasted for only nine months as the Janata Party, which he belonged to, did not have a strong leadership at the Centre.
"Now, with my leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi, (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah and (BJP chief) J P Nadda, we have not only got a strong central leadership but also strong party principles. I am sure that with all these factors behind me, I will not only complete this term, I will lead Karnataka upfront and bring the BJP back to power," he said.
Stating that the BJP functions in a democratic way, Bommai said, "Our principle is a strong Centre and strong states, and that makes a strong nation. All the timely changes are the need of the hour. It is not a question of any dictatorship."
On a question on the BJP-ruled states turning to Delhi for decision making, he said, "For administration, there is no question of looking at Delhi. But there are certain issues, where you have to consult. Consultation does not mean you look upon Delhi or look down Delhi. Consultation is an ongoing process."
On the trend of frequent shifting of MLAs from one party to another and yet winning elections in the state, Bommai said "changing sides" and parties has been there since the days of veteran Congress leaders S Nijalingappa and Veerendra Patil.
Even leaders like Ramakrishna Hedge and S R Bommai had to quit and join the BJP, he said, adding, "The course of politics and leadership has guided all these changes."
Bommai further said spending a huge amount of money in elections and the role of lobbies were always there in Karnataka.
"I should admit that there were and there are lobbies in Karnataka politics. Earlier, there was an excise lobby, then came the granite lobby and the education lobby. In between, we had a mining lobby. All these lobbies always try to dominate the state's politics with money power. That has disturbed the right kind of polity in Karnataka. Not only in Karnataka, but in several states," he said.
However, the people of Karnataka "have always overthrown them and brought the government back with people's mandate. That is the silver lining in Karnataka's politics. All the credit should go to the people of Karnataka", he added.
On frequent changes of chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, including B S Yediyurappa, Bommai said, "Change is permanent.... Yediyurappa is such a strong leader. I think only he could have decided his future course of action."
Yediyurappa single-handedly built the BJP in Karnataka, he said, adding, that the veteran leader has fought and won many battles for the saffron party in the southern state.
"He is never tired. However, he chose to pave the way for the next generation. When he was at the helm of affairs and strongly placed, he voluntarily made way for the next generation. That is the culture he brought in and that is the culture of the BJP," Bommai said.
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Karnataka Assembly passes bill on Palace Grounds amid opposition protest
Bengaluru, Mar 6 (PTI): The Karnataka Assembly on Thursday passed the Bangalore Palace (Utilisation and Regulation of Land) Bill, reaffirming state ownership over 472 acres and 16 guntas of land here, amid protests by the opposition BJP.
During the discussion, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said the state government would have to provide Rs 200 crore worth of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for each acre of land, which means that for 15 acres, Rs 3,000 crore worth of TDR would be issued.
“If we accept it, then this 2-km stretch of road will become the costliest road in the world. If we accept it then how are we going to develop the city in later stages? How will you carry out development works?” asked Patil.
He also pointed out that this question was raised not only under the Congress government but also during the previous BJP regime.
However, the BJP-led cabinet has opposed the project.
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“Suppose we agree to it then, what will be the valuation of the 472 acres? It will be lakhs and lakhs of crores of rupees. Can we accept?” Patil wondered.
The Minister said the government had previously exercised its executive powers to issue an ordinance, which was approved by the Governor. Now the government is bringing a bill with two amendments.
“In this bill, we have made provisions either to develop or drop the road development work,” Patil explained.
However, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and BJP MLA Arvind Bellad opposed the move, alleging that the government was targetting Yaduveer Krishna Datta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysuru royal family, and the BJP MP from Mysuru-Kodagu constituency out of political vendetta.
“We talk of 472 acres of Mysuru Maharaja but here there are many Maharajas who too own 400 acres, 500 acres and thousands of acres of land, which is known to everyone,” Bellad said.
He slammed the Congress government, saying political power should not be misused for personal vendetta.
“Why (the then Deputy Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah brought the law in 1996 pertaining to the Bangalore Palace? Why are you setting eyes on the Bangalore Palace?” he asked.
Vijayendra charged that Wadiyar won the election on BJP ticket so the state government realised that it should acquire it.
“This bill has been brought for political vengeance. We are not discussing whether Rs 3,000 crore is exorbitant or not but the moment Yaduveer became MP, the state government woke up. You should be ashamed. This house should not be used for political vendetta,” he said.
Intervening, Minister Priyank Kharge said Vijayendra should not have raised it because the intention behind building the road was noble.
According to him, the BJP too had the same plan when it was in power.
He sought to know whether thousands of crores of rupees be spent on a road which should have cost significantly less.
In response, BJP MLA B A Basavaraj (Byrathi) said issuing TDR will not be a burden on the state government and appealed to the ruling Congress to reconsider its stance.
Minister Ramalinga Reddy too explained that the Karnataka government acquired the entire land way back in 1996.
The Mysuru royal family went to the High Court, which gave ruling in favour of the state government. The royal family then approached the Supreme Court, where the case is still going on, the Minister pointed out.
“The final judgment is pending in the SC to decide whether the acquisition was right or wrong. If the SC says it’s the royal family’s property then let it be so. If the order is in the state government’s favour then we can take a decision. The bill is only about it,” Reddy explained.
Speaker U T Khader then called for a voice vote and the bill was passed by the Assembly amidst opposition BJP’s discontent.
