Bangalore: An emotional Karnataka Chief
Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday said he is leaving office
"happily" without being hurt and saw it as an opportunity to
work "freely" to strengthen the party.
His voice choking, 68-year-old Yeddyurappa said as
chief minister he felt like his hands and legs had been tied
and he had to discharge his duties from Vidhan Soudha, the
state secretariat, within "limitations".
"From now onwards, I can happily and freely meet
people... (those of) backward classes... scheduled
castes...scheduled tribes...work for the welfare of women
without any obstacles and anxiety", he said, describing it as
a "golden opportunity".
The BJP leader was speaking at a felicitation
function, organised by the Balija community, which was
recently extended benefits in education under backward classes
category 2A, withdrawing it from 3A, by his government.
Yeddyurappa said there is no need for anybody to feel
that he had been hurt because he had to leave office and
declared that he is "quitting happily and with satisfaction".
In what appeared to be his "farewell speech",
Yeddyurappa said he would commence a tour of the state from
tomorrow, visiting "villages-after-villages" and strengthen
the party.
Listing the achievements of his 38-month tenure as
Chief Minister, he said that in fiscal management "the state
is number one, while communal harmony and law and order
situation is good".
"Wish of the people is that BJP should continue to be
in power for the next 15-20 years," Yeddyurappa said, adding,
he would work towards that goal, as well as to realise the aim
to win 150 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the next
elections.
He said he never dreamt of becoming chief minister,
and is grateful that from being a mere municipal councillor in
Shikaripura in Shimoga district, he rose to this position.
"In the last 40 years, I staged agitations by
mobilising farmers as a 'madman' (driven by passion)".
PTI
First Published: Sunday, July 31, 2011, 16:05