BS Yeddyurappa (File Photo)

BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday said he had pardoned mining baron G Janardhana Reddy of Ballari and others who had troubled him in the past in the interest of the state.

"Not only Reddy, many have troubled me when I was CM. I've forgotten it and pardoned them all in the interest of the state," Yeddyurappa told TOI in an interview.

Denying that the party gave ticket to anyone at Reddy's instance, the BJP leader said the mining baron was supporting party candidates in some districts. The party is relying on ST leader B Sreeramulu , and not Reddy, to win in Ballari and neighbouring districts, he said. He denied that the party had taken a decision to make Sreeramulu his deputy in the event of the party coming to power.

Yeddyurappa said Veerashaiva-Lingayats are not upset with denial of ticket to his son, BY Vijayendra, in Varuna. He said the Congress ploy to divide Lingayat-Veerashaivas has boomeranged and the party will pay the price for it.

Rejecting the findings of many surveys that the Congress will emerge as the single largest party in the May 12 assembly polls, he said the BJP would come out with flying colours. He said reports that the Prime Minister took a break from campaigning in Karnataka as he was not confident of winning Karnataka were not true.

