Governor to send Loyakuyta mining report to President

An embattled Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is expected to return here tomorrow from a week-long Mauritius holiday with family amid debate in the party on his future in the wake of Lokayukta’s damning indictment on the mining scam.

Giving clear indications that he will play an active role, Governor H R Bhardwaj today said he would send a report to President Pratibha Patil once the Lokayukta’s report “comes on record”.

“Let these things (the mining report) come on record. Then I can express my opinion to the President (Pratibha Patil) which can’t be leaked to the press,” Bhardwaj told reporters.

The report of Lokayukta N Santosh Hegde leaked last week indicted Yeddyurappa and four ministers, among others, and put the loss to state exchequer because of illegal mining for 14 months from March 2009 at more than Rs 1,800 crore.

The report findings have embarrassed the ruling BJP, whose central leadership has promised to take “appropriate action” once the report is submitted by Hegde.

The Lokayukta is expected to submit the much-awaited report by Wednesday. “We are working even today (Sunday) and printing. We do not know when it will be completed. We are going through certain chapters. Though we want to bring it out tomorrow, it looks unlikely at this stage. We will submit the report by Wednesday,” sources close to Hegde said.

Lokayukta sources said Hegde would give the report only to the government because the mining probe was referred by it, and not the Governor. To this, Bhardwaj said: “I have never asked him to give me a report. If he chooses... Definitely I said, I am the competent authority to deal with the government”.

There is an intense debate in the BJP on the political fallout once the Lokayukta submits its report. Rural Development and Panchayat minister Jagadish Shettar today met senior BJP leader H N Ananth Kumar — who is widely seen as a member of anti-Yeddyurappa camp — and held discussions, fuelling speculation in political circles.

Yeddyurappa has said in Mauritius that he would not step down and is likely to address a press conference here today.

Upping the ante, an opposition Congress delegation today met the Governor and urged him to initiate appropriate action against Yeddyurappa for "phone-tapping", leakage of Lokayukta report, and alleged attempt to influence Hegde.

Meanwhile, the Governor indicated that he cannot intervene on the issue of phone-tapping of Lokayukta unless he gets a request from Hegde himself.