Zilla, taluk panchayat polls in Dec: Shettar

The state government is prepared to conduct the elections to taluk panchayats and zilla panchayats in December this year. Speaking to Business Standard here, minister for rural development and panchayat raj Jagadeesh Shettar said the term of the present zilla panchayats will end in January 2011 and the administration was prepared to conduct the polls. However, it is for the state election commission to decide the dates and issue notification, he asserted.

Shettar said the BJP as a party was prepared to face the polls despite the present imbroglio. Unmindful of the recent political developments the people will vote for the BJP in the elections to taluk and zilla panchayats considering the development works taken up by the BJP government in the rural sector, Shettar claimed.

On the alleged poaching of Congress and JD(S) MLAs by the BJP, Shettar said, the resignation of Opposition MLAs was the result of attempts by Opposition parties to topple the BJP government. He accused the former chief minister and Janata Dal (S) leader H D Kumaraswamy of instigating the BJP legislators to rebel against the party at the behest of the Congress. “The Congress not wanting to take the blame directly for toppling the government, instigated Kumaraswamy to take the lead. The two parties were financially sponsored by mining magnates opposed to the Reddys,” Shettar alleged. He said, the 11 BJP legislators who were reportedly dissatisfied could have aired their grievances in the party forum for a remedy. Instead, they played into the hands of opposition parties and paid a price by losing their membership, Shettar said.

He also accused governor H R Bharadwaj of throwing all norms to the wind by acting on the letters purportedly written by the disgruntled BJP MLAs and asking CM Yeddyurappa to prove his majority on the floor of the House.

“The governor never bothered to check the veracity of the letters which were handed over to him by someone other than the signato-ries. He should have ensured that the letters were actually written and signed by the MLAs concerned. He has not done that,” Shettar alleged.

He expressed confidence that the present BJP government would complete its term and provide good governance in the days to come.