Rajnath Singh's no vacancy remark unwarranted: Yeddyurappa

Joining issue with senior party leader Rajnath Singh over his "no vacancy" comment, beleaguered Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka strongman B S Yeddyurappa on Monday said his comments were "unwarranted" and maintained that he had never clamoured for any party position.

"I have never clamoured for any party position or the chief minister's post. The comments are unwarranted," Yeddyurappa told reporters.

The former chief minister, who recently forced the party government to the brink of a crisis, said he would soon write to Singh expressing his displeasure over the remarks.

Hinting that there would be no change of leadership in the BJP in Karnataka as was being demanded by supporters of Yeddyurappa, Singh had said there was 'no vacancy' there.

"Where is the vacancy? D V Sadananda Gowda is our chief minister in Karnataka," Singh told reporters at Ranchi on Sunday, in response to a query.

On BJP state president K S Eshwarappa reportedly praising him for being unruffled amid a spate of corruption cases and a CBI probe, Yeddyurappa said he didn't need any sympathy from anybody.

"These are not the words of sympathy, but insult," he said.

He has triggered a crisis after nine ministers and several MLA loyal to him submitted their resignations. Yeddyurappa, however, announced a few days ago that he had deferred his decision to quit the part.

Peeved over the party's top brass sidelining him, Yeddyurappa had said that he would not attend the BJP National Executive to be held in Mumbai from May 24. He had also launched a scathing attack on general secretary Anantkumar, alleging that he was misguiding the party.