Karnataka's chief minister of two days BS Yeddyurappa. PTIIt was home turf but a coarse pitch as Karnataka's chief minister of two days BS Yeddyurappa started his emotionally charged speech in the Vidhana Soudha, minutes ahead of the crucial trust vote, on Saturday.
Though he called it quits and resigned after the speech which was clearly aimed at evoking the sympathy of the Kannadigas, the seasoned politician in him managed to deftly sidestep the ignominy of failing in a trust vote.
He kept the people, political observers, and his own partymen on tenterhooks by continuously dropping hints of persevering for a trust vote and quitting at the same time.
Yeddyurappa thanked the people and the compatriots in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for 'the love and support.' He said the prime minister's governance had given the party 104 seats.
He said the electoral mandate was testimony to the 'people's anger' against the previous Congress government.
Briefly tracing his career in politics, he said he was made 'party president' and had trudged across the length and breadth of the state, indicating his experience and acumen as a seasoned politician and statesman.
As the speech hit the high-octane of emotions, it was sure that the CM would quit ahead of the trust vote. But Yeddyurappa soon sprung a surprise by urging legislators across the board to vote as per conscience, indicating that he may go in for a trust vote.
As the pendulum swung between in and out, the chief minister, in a signing off statement, said the BJP would sweep all the seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
And, in a closure of ambiguities, he said he was quitting as chief minister of the state.
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