Amid reports of fresh bouts of dissidence in the ruling BJP in Karnataka, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa today said he has “committed several mistakes” after assuming charge and promised people that such mistakes would not recur.
“I have committed several mistakes after taking over as chief minister. I have lea-
rnt a lesson from them and promise that these would not recur in future,” he told reporters here. Dismissing charges that he had compromised to remain in power, Yeddyurappa said, “I will not continue in office at the cost of interest of the state and the people. I will quit if I fail.”
The chief minister, who has convened a meeting of the party’s legislature committee tomorrow in the wake of reports about fresh bout of dissidence in the party, expressed concern about the reported dissidence and said he was confident it would end soon. Responding to the “criticism” over induction of controversial party legislator M P Renukacharya into his cabinet, he said it was his decision and he took “all responsibility for it”, adding he would explain it at tomorrow’s meeting.
The induction of Renukacharya, who supported the ‘oust Yeddyurappa campaign’ conducted by the Reddy brothers — tourism minister Janardhana Reddy and revenue minister Karunakara Reddy — last month, had been opposed by some MLAs. Yeddyurappa managed to weather the crisis with the party central leadership working out a compromise formula between the warring factions.
