Battle lines

Stung by B S Yeddyurappa’s decision to form his own party – Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) – six months before the Assembly election in the state, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders are punishing the former Karnataka chief minister’s supporters. The first to face the ire of the BJP top leaders was G S Basavaraj, member of Parliament (MP) from Karnataka, who has been suspended from the BJP on charges of making anti-party statements. Another close aide of Yeddyurappa, Cooperative Minister B J Puttaswamy, was removed from the top post on similar charges. Yeddyurappa claims that he has the support of more than 40 BJP MLAs who are willing to join the KJP. The former chief minister is scheduled to launch his party on December 9.