'My next target is to storm assembly polls: Yeddyurappa

After playing spoilsport to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the recently concluded polls to Urban Local Bodies in Karnataka, Karnataka Janatha Party President B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday set his eyes on storming the assembly in upcoming elections.

"My first target was to finish the BJP in the Urban Local Body elections because they had ditched me. People have taught them a lesson. My next target is to storm assembly in the upcoming polls," he told reporters in Bangalore. Yeddyurappa said that the central BJP leaders should realise the importance of his contribution to the growth of their party in the state.

"Without me, the BJP has cut a sorry figure as it lost in almost all districts, particularly strongholds like Udupi and Puutur in ULB elections," the former Karnataka chief minister said.

Yeddyurappa said the Karnataka Janata Paksha has performed satisfactorily in the ULB polls, though losing some of his stronghold districts such as Shimoga.

"We are a nascent party and were concentrating on assembly elections, but never expected early ULB polls. So we had inadequate time to prepare. But winning about 300 wards in three months is not a mean achievement," he added.

Yeddyurappa said that the KJP would not ally with any other party before or after assembly polls. "We are going to contest 224 constituencies. I am confident we will get absolute majority," he said.

Yeddyurappa denied indirectly supporting the Congress in ULB polls and said he was worried about KJP. "The Congress, however, have benefited from the ULB elections, whereas the Janata Dal-Secular lost more than 600 wards compared to the previous ULB polls held in 2007," he said.