Bengaluru, Jan 7 (NationPress) - The BJP Central Parliamentary Board member and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa announced on Wednesday that the party is committed to prioritizing the success of its candidates in the forthcoming local body elections in Karnataka.

During a media briefing at the BJP state office, known as Jagannath Bhavan, in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa emphasized the need to strengthen the party's organization and structure. He noted that the state president, alongside senior leaders, has initiated meetings with key leaders across various districts starting today. These discussions will also encompass plans for the upcoming local body elections.

“We have resolved to concentrate our efforts on securing victories for our party candidates by bringing attention to the government's mismanagement,” he stated.

When asked about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's record as the longest-serving Chief Minister of the state, Yediyurappa remarked that the governance styles of D. Devaraj Urs and Siddaramaiah are not comparable.

He asserted that as the current government faces allegations of corruption, the public would likely reject attempts to promote achievements through events and publicity stunts. He further claimed that the BJP is already experiencing success in local body elections throughout the state.

The former Chief Minister expressed the party's clear goal of establishing a BJP-led government with a significant majority in the upcoming elections. “Our party workers are demonstrating great enthusiasm. In the near future, you will see the BJP triumphing in the local body elections,” he confidently stated.

Notably, Yediyurappa refrained from mentioning any alliance with the JD(S) during his media address.

BJP leaders from Mandya district in Karnataka are currently opposing an alliance with the JD(S) for the local body elections, following a statement from former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha Member H.D. Deve Gowda indicating that his party would contest independently.

Sources have revealed that BJP leaders expressed dissatisfaction with Deve Gowda’s comments during a recent core committee meeting. Former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, former Minister K.C. Narayana Gowda, and other BJP leaders from Mandya are particularly upset, especially since the party had previously ceded the Mandya Lok Sabha seat to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and campaigned extensively for his victory.

During a media interaction, Narayana Gowda commented, “Deve Gowda has announced that his party will contest the local body elections independently. At that time, we relinquished our right to contest the Mandya Lok Sabha seat, despite having a sitting MP from our party. We persuaded the party high command to allocate the seat to the JD(S) and actively campaigned for Kumaraswamy in the Lok Sabha elections along with the sitting MP.”

Recently, Deve Gowda declared that the JD(S) would participate in the local body elections independently in Karnataka.

“We cannot negotiate seat-sharing for local-level elections with the Prime Minister or Home Minister Shah. Such discussions will only occur for major national elections like the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. My priority is to fortify the regional party at the grassroots level,” he emphasized.

He reiterated that the JD(S) will maintain its alignment with the NDA in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.