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Ban opinion polls, says Yeddyurappa

B.S. Yeddyurappa

Udupi: The former Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader B.S. Yeddyurappa said on Sunday that he would urge the Election Commission to ban opinion polls and such other polls being carried out by the media.

Speaking to presspersons here, Mr. Yeddyurappa said that such surveys lacked credibility and were unscientific. Such election forecasts had been proved wrong in the Gujarat Assembly elections, he said and rubbished the findings of an opinion poll carried out by a private television news channel and a newspaper.

When asked why he should worry since such forecasts by his own admission had gone wrong in Gujarat, Mr. Yeddyurappa said: “These forecasts mislead the people. They create confusion in the minds of the people. I don’t believe such forecasts even if they are in favour of the BJP. I will write to AICC president Sonia Gandhi and the Election Commission in this regard.”

Mr. Yeddyurappa said the Congress should first announce its chief ministerial candidate.

There was lot of infighting within the Congress, he claimed. S.M. Krishna, Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, and C.K. Jaffer Sharief were all aspirants to the post of Chief Minister. “They should at least tell who will be the Chief Minister after election,” he said.

He said that the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) had conspired to field the former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa against him in Shikaripur Assembly Constituency. “Mr. Bangarappa is not in good health, but they still want him to contest from Shikaripur. They want to make Mr. Bangarappa a scapegoat. Mr. Bangarappa wanted the Congress to give up the Sorab seat for his son Madhu Bangarappa, but the Congress did not do so,” he said.

If the BJP came to power, it would solve the problems of toddy tappers and declare Byndoor and Brahmavar in Udupi district as taluk headquarters, Mr. Yeddyurappa said.

BJP leaders K. Raghupati Bhat, Kota Srinivas Poojary, T.V. Hegde, Katapady Shankar Poojary and others were present.

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