Yediyurappa demands CM's resignation after NDA sweeps all four Karnataka MLC seats

Bengaluru, Oct 28 : Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Chief Minister D K Shivakumar following the BJP-JD(S) alliance's victory in all four Legislative Council constituencies, challenging the Congress government to seek a fresh mandate.

Reacting to the NDA's clean sweep in the teachers' and graduates' constituencies, Yediyurappa said the results had raised serious questions about the Congress government's moral authority to continue in office.

"The NDA candidates have won by a huge margin despite not being in power in Karnataka. What moral right do you have to continue after losing these polls? If you have any dignity, you should step down and seek a fresh mandate," he said at a press conference here.

He also challenged Shivakumar to a public debate on the election results, asserting that teachers and graduates had delivered a clear message against the ruling Congress government.

Describing the outcome as more than just a victory in four Legislative Council seats, the BJP veteran said it reflected the changing political mood in Karnataka. He predicted a decisive victory for the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the next Assembly elections.

Taking a dig at the Congress over its allegations of irregularities in electronic voting machines (EVMs), Yediyurappa pointed out that ballot papers were used in the Council elections and questioned the party's stand on the credibility of the electoral process.

He said the NDA's victory, despite being out of power in the state, demonstrated growing dissatisfaction with the Congress administration.

Yediyurappa also criticised the government over Shivakumar's reported remarks to sugarcane growers that it lacked sufficient financial resources to fulfil their demands.

Describing the statement as an admission of financial distress, the former Chief Minister questioned how public funds had been utilised during the Congress government's three-and-a-half-year tenure.

"Where did the taxpayers' money go?" he asked, alleging large-scale corruption and claiming that the government had lost its moral right to remain in office.

The demand comes amid intensified political sparring following the NDA's victory in all four Council constituencies. The Opposition is seeking to project the results as a wider rejection of the Congress government's performance ahead of the next Assembly elections.