Bangalore:
BS Yeddyurappa, who had not stepped out of his home since the results of the Karnataka elections were announced, held a press conference in Bangalore this afternoon.
He may not have expected to finish fourth in the Karnataka polls but today Mr Yeddyurappa put up a brave face. "We have got 10% of the vote. It not an easy thing. KJP will be a constructive opposition party in and outside the Assembly, " he said ruling out his return to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"The same way I built the a party (BJP) with a few seats to achieve 110 seats, I will also build the KJP with these few seats to become a strong party,"the former Karnataka Chief Minister said, adding, "Work for Lok Sabha (elections in 2014) begins from today."
Mr Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) managed to win only half a dozen out of the 205 seats it contested. Heavyweights, who had left the BJP with Mr Yeddyurappa, failed to pull their weight - Shobha Karandlaje, Renukacharya, Murugesh Nirani and Siddalingaswam all lost.
As results came in yesterday, his only consolation perhaps was his own victory from the Shikaripura constituency with a huge margin of 23, 000 votes. Also a moral victory of sorts perhaps is the fact that he was able to hurt the BJP, which lost the state with wins in only 40 seats, by cutting its votes.
"Those who came with me from the BJP may not have won - but think of our vote percentage," Mr Yeddyurappa said today.
BS Yeddyurappa, who became the first BJP Chief Minister of a southern state, quit the party last year after months of infighting. Hopeful of returning to power, he formed the KJP. When he turned 70 in February, confident of a resounding win, he had postponed the celebrations till after the election results. That party now seems cancelled.