No Congress Leader With Self-respect Can Remain in Party: Venkaiah Naidu

Bengaluru: Union Minister and senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said "no wise Congressman or senior leader" with self-respect can continue to remain in that party.

He Venkaiah Naidu claimed that important Congress leaders were leaving the party across the country as they are "not getting inspiration from the leadership" and cited several recent instances in this regard.

"Any wise Congressman will not remain in Congress... Any leader with self-respect cannot continue in Congress. This has been the experience," Naidu told reporters in Bengaluru in the context of former Karnataka chief minister S M Krishna quitting the party recently.

Asked about reports that Krishna might join the BJP, he said, "I am not in the know of things."

"S M Krishna is a very senior politician. He will think and he will take a decision. I do not deal with admission and joining. I cannot speak on speculation," Naidu said.

On being told that BJP Karnataka president B S Yeddyurappa had been talking about the possibility of Krishna joining the party, he said, "I have no information or confirmation. You are giving information that has no confirmation so far."

"I cannot speak on speculation," the Union Minister said.

Taking potshots at the Congress central leadership, Krishna had quit the party unhappy over being sidelined, saying it did not need "mass leaders" but only wanted "managers".

Talking about the Union Budget, Naidu described it as a "Dasha Ashwa Medha Yaga" for building a "resurgent India."

The 10 points included doubling of farmers' income in five years, providing employment and infrastructure, social security and affordable housing for the poor, growth with stability, infrastructure and tax administration that would honour the honest tax payer, he said.

Naidu said the "biggest achievement" of demonetisation was that money which was "hiding" in "bed, bathrooms and iron safes" had come back to banks.

On Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, he said the BJP was confident of securing "comfortable" majority.

The ruling SP, which had won the last Assembly polls on its own, had now struck an alliance with Congress as it has lost self-confidence, Naidu added.