BJP goes into huddle to solve K'taka crisis

The crisis-hit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka went into a huddle today to dicuss whether reversal of some of the administrative decisions taken by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s confidante, Shobha Karandlaje, would help win back the controversial Reddy brothers, mine owners and MLAs from Bellary in north Karnataka, who had been spearheading a campaign against the chief minister.

Dissident leader and Tourism Minister G Janardhan Reddy, along with his brother and Revenue Minister G Karunakar Reddy, are demanding the ouster of Yeddyurappa, who became the CM in May 2008. Prior to last year’s Assembly polls, the BJP shared power with the Janata Dal-Secular in a coalition government.

At a press conference last week, Yeddyurappa strongly backed Karandlaje, the minister of rural development and panchayat. “All the ministers in my Cabinet, including Shobha, have been working very well. It is only the hard workers who face such attacks,” he said.

He termed the remarks of Bellary MP Shantha, who is the sister of dissident minister B Sriramulu, as “irresponsible”. The dissidents have accused Karandlaje of interfering in the portfolios of other ministers.

Meanwhile, Karandlaje, who hoisted the flag as part of the ‘Kannada Rajyotsava’ celebrations on Sunday in Mysore, has denied trying to interfere in decision-making of other ministries.

“Why should I put my hands in other ministries when my hands are full? My detractors have been active for more than a year but were unsuccessful. I have been doing my work and am committed to the programmes and polices of the government with a clean image. These allegations should not be given any credibility,” she said. She said the so-called crisis in the ruling BJP was created by a few leaders and their ‘motives’ would come out in the open soon. “The party’s central leadership is seized of the matter,” she added.

Dissident leader Janardhan Reddy, who arrived here this morning, met party general secretaries Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar, seeking a “better leadership” in Karnataka. After an hour-long meeting, Jaitley said Reddy had expressed his views on the situation that has developed in Karnataka. “We heard him (Reddy) seriously. The Central leadership will meet this evening and discuss the issue based on his views,” he said. Jaitley said all MLAs and ministers had expressed their views and the party would discuss them.