BENGALURU/NEW DELHI: In a dramatic U-turn, JDS on Thursday announced it will join BJP padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru, after the saffron party’s top brass moved quickly to pacify the regional outfit’s Karnataka chief, HD Kumaraswamy.
The 7-day padayatra, to begin from August 3, was called to press for a CBI probe into the alleged MUDA scam involving Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah‘s wife, BM Parvathi, and to mount pressure on the CM to quit.
JDS’s shift in stance followed a meeting in Delhi of BJP top brass, including Amit Shah, national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, and Union food & civil supplies minister Pralhad Joshi with Kumaraswamy, also Union minister for steel. Later, BJP state chief BY Vijayendra said, Kumaraswamy and ex-CM BS Yediyurappa, Vijayendra’s father, will launch the padayatra.
“Whatever differences we had were ironed out,” said Vijayendra. Sources said Kumaraswamy agreed to extend support to the march after BJP agreed to keep Preetham J Gowda, BJP state general secretary & ex-Hassan MLA, out of padayatra. Asked if Preetham would participate, Vijayendra said: “You will see on Aug 3.” “BJP does not give importance to individuals. It’s always about organisation,” Agarwal said.
Barely 24 hours earlier, Kumaraswamy had lashed out at its ally, declaring that his party will not participate in the padayatra nor extend moral support. He said it was impossible for him to share dais with Preetham, whom he accused of distributing pendrives of sex videos involving his nephew Prajwal Revanna.
The 7-day padayatra, to begin from August 3, was called to press for a CBI probe into the alleged MUDA scam involving Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah‘s wife, BM Parvathi, and to mount pressure on the CM to quit.
JDS’s shift in stance followed a meeting in Delhi of BJP top brass, including Amit Shah, national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, and Union food & civil supplies minister Pralhad Joshi with Kumaraswamy, also Union minister for steel. Later, BJP state chief BY Vijayendra said, Kumaraswamy and ex-CM BS Yediyurappa, Vijayendra’s father, will launch the padayatra.
“Whatever differences we had were ironed out,” said Vijayendra. Sources said Kumaraswamy agreed to extend support to the march after BJP agreed to keep Preetham J Gowda, BJP state general secretary & ex-Hassan MLA, out of padayatra. Asked if Preetham would participate, Vijayendra said: “You will see on Aug 3.” “BJP does not give importance to individuals. It’s always about organisation,” Agarwal said.
Barely 24 hours earlier, Kumaraswamy had lashed out at its ally, declaring that his party will not participate in the padayatra nor extend moral support. He said it was impossible for him to share dais with Preetham, whom he accused of distributing pendrives of sex videos involving his nephew Prajwal Revanna.