BJP under siege from within and outside

BSY ups ante, fields rebel in Rajya Sabha poll even as Congress bays for its blood

Upping the ante, BJP strongman B S Yeddyurappa on Monday fielded a rebel candidate for the March 30 Rajya Sabha poll from Karnataka, as the stand-off with the party’s central leadership over his reinstatement as chief minister intensified.

B J Puttaswamy, who served as Political Secretary to Chief Minister when Yeddyurappa was at the helm and continued in his post under his successor D V Sadananda Gowda, filed his nomination papers. “I have filed nomination as a third candidate (of the BJP),” he told reporters.

Asked if he filed the papers on the direction of the party, Puttaswamy, a staunch Yeddyurappa loyalist, said: “That I don’t know. More than the party’s decision, I have filed the nomi-nation as a third candidate as per law with signature of 10 people (MLAs).” On whether he filed papers at the behest of Yeddyurappa, he said: “I am not saying that.” On whether he has produced B-form from the party, he claimed that he has time till tomorrow to do that. “I will give it tomorrow.”

Along with the nomination, he said he attached the “acknowledgement” of his resignation letter from the post of Political Secretary to Chief Minister. Earlier on Monday, BJP state unit President K S Eshwarappa announced the two candidates of the party — Basavaraj Patil Sedam and R Ramakrishna — for the March 30 poll.

Cong demands President rule
Meanwhile, the Congress in Karnataka demanded dismissal of the state government and imposition of President’s rule, saying there is ‘zero governance’ in the wake of internal bickerings in the ruling BJP over the leadership issue.

“We urge Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj to recommend dissolution of the state Assembly as governance has hit a roadblock in the wake of internal bickerings in BJP over the leadership issue,” Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara told reporters.

He was speaking after Congress candidate K Rahman Khan filed his nomination for Rajya Sabha election here on Monday. Parameshwara also urged Bhardwaj to facilitate fresh mandate “as government is likely to fall today or tomorrow in the light of internal bickerings in BJP reaching flashpoint.”

He said Congress would submit a memorandum to the governor, seeking dismissal of the government.