Sonia Gandhi is more trustworthy than Nitin Gadkari: B S Yeddyurappa

BANGALORE: Beleaguered former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Friday chose to attack his mentor BJP president Nitin Gadkari by maintaining that AICC president Sonia Gandhi could be trusted than the former when it comes to fulfilling promises. An agitated Yeddyurappa, whose claim for the state BJP president's post has been ignored by the party, said the Congress was better at fulfilling promise than his own party. "One has to learn a lesson or two from the Congress leaders when it comes to keeping up promises. Congress leaders from Jawaharlal Nehru to Sonia have kept up their assurances given to their members. They never let down their leaders on false allegations. You (Gadkari) have promised so many things to me. But without any reason you have not kept up your promise," he told reporters while referring to reported Gandkari's promise of making him as state party chief. This is the second occasion in recent times that Yeddyurappa is lauding Sonia and Congress in public. Reacting to Gadkari's statement that at BJP national executive meet on Thursday, who indirectly attacked Yeddyurappa saying that no person is bigger than a party, the former CM said "Let me remind you that I did become CM overnight like others (indirect attack on his successors D V Sadananda Gowda and Jagadish Shettar). I strived hard for 40 years and became CM." Attack on Gadkari comes at a time when BJP has just concluded it executive and council meeting. Lashing out at BJP top brass, Yeddyurappa said that everything was all right in the party when A B Vajpayee was the president. "The situation is not well now. There are problems in states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharastra. Other leaders should devote attention towards correcting this situation, being experienced everywhere," he said and asked Gadkari to initiate immediate steps to arrest further deterioration of party affairs. As a result of weak control over the party, new culture of creating two deputy chief minister posts have been made, while no other BJP ruled states have, Yeddyurappa said. The Lingayat leader, who has his one foot out of the BJP, trained his guns on his bete noire H N Ananth Kumar. He suggested to Gadkari to make the Kumar, Bangalore South MP as the state unit party president and help him realize his long time ambition of becoming the chief minister. "Kumar has poisoned minds of top leaders of the party in Delhi. They have also been listening to leaders of vested interest and made me a scapegoat," Yeddyurappa fumed. He said for the first time in 40 years, he has not attended the BJP national executive and national council meet held in Surajkand and added he has written a detailed letter to Gadkari outlining the reasons his non-participation. Yeddyurappa said he was not in race for state BJP chief's post and asked his loyalists to call off their Delhi visit to seek the post for him. "Even if Gadkari offered me that post, I will not accept. I have requested my party men to send me letters on what should be my future course of action and what they want me to do."