FRONT PAGE | Saturday, November 7, 2009 | Email | Print | 
BJP issues ultimatum to rebels
Kumar Uttam | New Delhi
End Karnataka crisis or face poll
The Karnataka BJP crisis took a decisive turn on Friday after Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa transferred his controversial Principal Secretary VP Baligar and Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy left for Hyderabad to hold discussion with his supporter-legislators to decide on the “compromise formula” suggested by the BJP top brass.
Yeddyurappa, who held a meeting with party president Rajnath Singh, senior leaders Arun Jaitley, Ananth Kumar and M Venkaiah Naidu in front of LK Advani at the latter’s residence here on Friday, said he would stay back in Delhi for a day or two to see that the crisis was over.
BJP sources said Reddy is expected to return to the national Capital on Saturday and hold a joint Press conference if a compromise is arrived at between him and Yeddyurappa.
The rapprochement between the warring factions, sources revealed to The Pioneer, came following the intervention of two senior leaders from the RSS and warning to rebels about disciplinary action if they failed to toe the party line. The top brass is learnt to have told Reddy that the party will not change the CM at any cost and would opt for polls if the stalemate is not resolved.
Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa told reporters: “Yesterday (on Thursday) I took the decision in accordance with the interests of Reddy brothers that Baligar be shifted. Regarding the other demands, I have told our leaders that I am ready to accept them also.”
On Friday, Arun Jaitley held discussion with Janardhana Reddy at the residence of M Venkaiah Naidu and persuaded him to accept the compromise formula. Last night, Reddy had reverted to oust-CM cry within hours of agreeing to apply his mind on the offers made by the BJP leadership.
“They (BJP central leaders) will take the right and correct decision in the interests of the party,” Reddy told reporters after meeting senior leader Sushma Swaraj here earlier on Friday. Reddy reportedly told Sushma that he had with him resignation of more than 50 MLAs who wanted to “better leadership” in the State.
Party sources said the offers made to pacify rebel MLAs include dropping of Rural Development Minister Shobha Karandlaje and Home Minister VS Acharya from the Cabinet, inducting Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar in the Ministry, constitution of a core group to look into administrative matters, including the flood relief works and others.
Reddy brothers, who have been assured of more say in transfer and postings in their area, have reportedly sought a major reshuffle of the Cabinet that should come with lucrative Ministries like Home, Mines and Environment to them or their supporters.
Yeddyurappa was opposed to the idea saying such a move would help them protect their business interests at the cost of the party’s and Government’s reputation. Yeddyurappa at one point of time even argued that he would prefer seeking a fresh mandate that giving in to the blackmail tactics of Bellary brothers.
BJP leaders suggested Yeddyurappa to try to find a way out by implementing the compromise formula, even as Reddy brothers told party leaders that they would be opposed to Yeddyurappa’s plan to reinstate Karandlaje as Karnataka BJP president.
Reports suggest that Yeddyurappa, whose ‘Operation Lotus’ saw many opposition legislators crossing over to the BJP after the Assembly election, had opened “communication channels” with many JD(S) MLAs to survive any crisis in the event of any “extreme step” by the Reddy brothers.
Meanwhile, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy dared Yeddyurappa to seek a fresh mandate if he thought he has the confidence of the people, though the former Chief Minister clarified he would not approach the Karnataka Governor to demand the dissolution of the Assembly.
Kumaraswamy refuted claims that he was in touch with some BJP leaders and that his party was exploring the possibility of aligning with one of the factions in the State BJP in case of a split in the party unit.
“I have not met any BJP leader after the crisis broke out. Until now I have not met anybody. It is not necessary to meet BJP leaders at this stage,” he told reporters in New Delhi.
Kumaraswamy, who had come to Delhi to participate in the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Rural Development, of which he is a member, later left for Bangalore along with his father and party chief HD Deve Gowda.
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