MYSURU, 30 JUNE

Senior BJP leader Thotadappa Basavaraju on Monday said he would set himself ablaze in front of the party office in Bengaluru if the High Command replaced current State party chief BY Vijayendra with an outsider.

Basavaraju said, “Let the High Command make senior leader Sreeramulu as the State unit chief on a seniority basis, but not an outsider. Instead of making an outsider as the State unit chief, the party should allow Vijayendra to continue in the post.”

Basavaraju further said that if expelled BJP leaders, such as KS Eshwarappa and Tejaswini, wanted to return to the party, they must seek an apology from BS Yediyurappa. BJP suffered humiliating setbacks in elections because of Yediyurappa being sidelined, he said.