Bangalore: Upping the ante, BJP strongman B S
Yeddyurappa on Monday fielded a rebel candidate for the March 30
Rajya Sabha poll from Karnataka, as the stand-off with the
party`s central leadership over his reinstatement as Chief
Minister intensified.
B J Puttaswamy, who served as Political Secretary to
Chief Minister when Yeddyurappa was at the helm and continued
in his post under his successor D V Sadananda Gowda, filed his
nomination papers.
"I have filed nomination as a third candidate (of the
BJP)", he told reporters.
Asked if he filed the papers on the direction of the
party, Puttaswamy, a staunch Yeddyurappa loyalist, said: "That
I don`t know. More than the party`s decision, I have filed the
nomination as a third candidate as per law with signature of
ten people (MLAs)".
On whether he filed papers at the behest of Yeddyurappa,
he said: "I am not saying that".
On whether he has produced B-form from the party, he
claimed that he has time till tomorrow to do that. "I will
give it tomorrow".
Along with the nomination, he said he attached the
"acknowledgement" of his resignation letter from the post of
political secretary to Chief Minister.
Earlier today, BJP state unit president K S Eshwarappa
announced the two candidates of the party -- Basavaraj Patil
Sedam and R Ramakrishna -- for the March 30 poll.
PTI
