No change in State BJP leadership: Ashok

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok has ruled out the possibility of any changes in the State BJP leadership in Karnataka.

Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Mr. Ashok said there had been no discussions at the party High Command about any change in the post of State BJP president or the Leader of the Opposition.

He said he went to Delhi recently and submitted a report as he had been instructed to go to the capital once every three months and submit a report. “After three more months, I will be submitting a report as the Leader of the Opposition,” Mr. Ashok said.

He also ruled out the possibility of any elections for the post of BJP’s State president any time now. “There is a plenty of time for that process to take place,” he said, adding that elections would take place in the State only after the polls in other States.

‘New CM by Dasara’

Mr. Ashok claimed that a new Chief Minister would be in the saddle by Dasara this year.

He said a change of guard in the State was inevitable by September-October. A “fight” has begun in the Congress to occupy the post of Chief Minister that Mr. Siddaramaiah would have to vacate by that period as per an “agreement”, he said.

While some Congressmen admit to the expected changes and claim that only small changes would take place, others were vouching for a drastic overhaul in the State, he claimed.

When pointed out that Mr. Siddaramaiah had denied possibility of any such changes, Mr. Ashok said the Chief Minister had no other option, but to deny the same to “save his chair”.

Emergency

Mr. Ashok urged the Congress to apologise to the people of the country if it had any respect for the Indian Constitution. He wondered whether the Congress justified imposition of Emergency or opposed it. “Without saying anything on it, they have allowed 50 years to pass”, he said claiming that the Congress now stood exposed before the people of the country.

Describing imposition of Emergency as the “second freedom struggle”, Mr. Ashok said a large number of patriots sent to jails during Emergency had died. The then Congress government headed by Indira Gandhi imposed restrictions on the media and arrested the Opposition leaders.

With regard of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s allegation that an “undeclared emergency” had been declared in the country by the BJP Government at the Centre, Mr. Ashok sought to know from the Congress leader whether the government had prevented him from contesting elections or stopped his son from becoming a Minister.