New Delhi: Karnataka Janata Paksha chief BS Yeddyurappa, who in May 2008 was the toast of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after leading the party to power in Karnataka, is now seen as the man who single-handedly responsible for the massive rout the party suffered in the 2013 Assembly elections.
Even though Yeddyurappa won from Shikaripura by over 15,000 votes, his party was doing well in only a few seats. But his party has hit the BJP hard in several constituencies with caste playing a major role as the Lingayat community to which Yeddyurappa belongs deserting the saffron party.
In the 2008 Assembly elections the BJP won 110 seats, Congress 80, JDS 28 and independent and smaller parties bagged six. But five years later the Congress is well on its way to secure majority on its own with the JDS and the BJP fighting for the second spot.
Karnataka became the first South Indian state to have a BJP government with Yeddyurappa becoming the chief minister of the state. But soon he was facing allegations of corruption and nepotism following which the BJP leadership disregarding the majority view of its cadre in the state forced him to step down as the chief minister.
Yeddyurappa was finally forced to quit the BJP after he tried to browbeat the party in making him the chief minister again a few months after he was removed from the post. He then went on to form the KJP and vowed to ensure that the BJP was defeated in the state Assembly elections.
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