BS Yediyurappa announced his retirement from electoral politics.
The BJP's Karnataka stalwart BS Yediyurappa has said he won't go back on his decision to quit electoral politics ahead of the closely watched state elections later this year, adding that the move was entirely his call, and he was not forced.
"I told people of Karnataka, I'm not retiring from politics. I am not tired, I will campaign and bring BJP to power. I will tour the state. BJP will get an absolute majority... Quitting electoral politics was my decision, nobody forced me. I will convince people why I took this decision," he said in an exclusive interview with NDTV.
"I resigned from the Chief Minister's post to accommodate [Basavaraj] Bommai. My absence in electoral politics is a challenge, and the BJP must face these challenges. I won't go back on my decision of not contesting polls," the Lingayat strongman said.
He also spoke critically of BJP state president Nalin Kateel's push to pit 18th-century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan and Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar, seen as a tactic to polarise voters.
"I don't agree with the narrative on Tipu vs Savarkar. It's not Tipu vs Savarkar, but BJP's policies and schemes will be the narrative," he said.
The 79-year-old also attacked the Congress, saying, "Congress's DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are corrupt leaders. Their allegations of corruption against the BJP are null."
Earlier this week, in what was seen as his "farewell speech" in the Karnataka assembly of which he was a member for decades, Mr Yediyurappa said he would strive towards building the party and bring it to power "till his last breath".
The leader who towers in the only southern state ruled by the BJP had announced in July last year that he will not be contesting the assembly polls, and will be vacating his Shikaripura Assembly seat, from where his younger son and the party's state Vice-President BY Vijayendra will be contesting if the party leadership agrees.
The veteran leader, who began his electoral politics as 'Purasabha' president in Shikaripura in Shivamogga district, was first elected to the Assembly from Shikaripura in 1983 and went on to win eight times from there.
Mr Yediyurappa resigned as Chief Minister on July 26, 2021, paving the way for Mr Bommai to take over. Age was seen as a primary factor for his exit from the top job, with the BJP's intermittently-enforced rule of keeping out those above 75 years from elected offices.
It was also seen as a step by the BJP's top leaders to make way for fresh leadership ahead of the assembly polls.