Sending a strong message to opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular, beleaguered Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday asked them to wait for two-and-a half years to face the people's verdict.
The chief minister asserted that his government will complete five years and rejected the opposition demand to step down. Yeddyurappa, whose government has been embroiled in alleged scams and riven with internal dissensions, turned down the JD-S demand to hold immediate polls to end the political instability in the state.
"The assembly polls are due after two and half years. We will make preparations for that at that time. Let them (Opposition) also make preparations then," he told mediapersons.
"Let people of the state make their choice after comparing the five year rule of the BJP," he said. Yeddyurappa took a swipe at the Congress for its acts of toppling his government saying 'that party did not win even an election in the state after BJP came to power. They could not achieve electoral success even after joining hands with JD-S.'
To a query whether BJP would accept the return of 11 rebel MLAs if they become successful in winning the case challenging their disqualification, he said 'that situation would not arise at all.'
Earlier in the day JD-S leader H D Kumaraswamy had urged the chief minister to seek fresh mandate as the BJP was not in a position to rule the state and development has come to a stand still.
Congress has also been claiming that the BJP government has no moral right to continue in office as it has lost majority. Yeddyurappa said his government was ready to order any probe into the issue of Congress and JD-S leaders owning vast tracts of land in and around Bengaluru.
He said he would furnish the proof on the conspiracy hatched by Congress leaders to destabilise his government to the Congress high command.
