Fresh revolt brews in Chennai against Yeddyurappa

Mtoday news

Bangalore, Oct 5: Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, already neck deep in trouble over land scams, on Monday was faced with fresh political trouble after a group of legislators, including seven ministers, demanded the sacking of Katta Subramanya Naidu from the State Cabinet. 

 
The faced-paced developments within a politically volatile state BJP comes just two weeks after Yeddyurappa claimed to have asserted himself and reshuffled the Cabinet by sacking three ministers, including Goolihatti Shekar and Shivanagouda Naik, believed to be close confidants of mining baron and Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy.

 
Turmoil

This is the third major turmoil in the BJP in less than a year. Last October, the Reddy brothers of Bellary had raised a banner of revolt against Yeddyurappa’s leadership. Following a compromise worked out by the party’s central leadership, a few of the chief minister’s loyalists were eased out of the government to pacify the Reddys.

In the past, a majority of MLA in the dissident group had identified themselves with the Reddy brothers, though they later fell out with them.

Sensing that Yeddyurappa was on the backfoot over the slew of allegations related to some land scams, the Opposition Congress and the JD(S) have already mounted pressure on him, seeking Naidu’s ouster following charges of making false claims for compensation from the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

A similar challenge has been thrown at Yeddyurappa by 16 to 20 disgruntled legislators in Chennai.

In addition, they have demanded the reinduction of Shekar and Naik. The new round of rebellion among the BJP legislators is led by Excise Minister M P Renukacharya who is being backed by six others from the Cabinet––Shivaraj Thangadagi, M P Narendraswamy, Venkataramanappa, D Sudhakar (all Independents), Balachandra Jarkhiholi and Anand Asnotikar.

The legislators include B P Harish, Dr Sarvabhouma Bagali, Y Sampangi, G L Nanjundaswamy, M V Nagaraj besides Naik and Shekar. The rebellious group left for Chennai from here on Tuesday morning.

With Katta in deep trouble over the land scam, those who lost Cabinet berths and those aspiring to become ministers seem to be making the best use of Yeddyurappa’s plight. But the chief minister, on his part, tried to put up a brave front by saying “all is well.”

“There is no problem. All those who are in Chennai will be at my house by 9.30 pm today (Tuesday)”, he said.  But his hopes were crushed as all of them continued to stay put in a Chennai hotel.

Negotiator

Though Janardhana Reddy has not directly associated himself with the latest political developments, his associate, Health Minister B Sriramulu, joined the legislators in Chennai as a “negotiator”.

The chief minister despatched ministers R Ashoka and Basavaraj Bommai and an MP, G M Siddeshwar, to mollify them.

Sriramulu said that not only do the ‘‘aggrieved MLAs’’ want Katta dropped from the Cabinet, they were also peeved at the sacking of Shekar and Naik from the Cabinet. The other legislators camping in Chennai remained incommunicado. The seven ministers who are in Chennai are unlikely to attend Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

The demands of the legislators, inter alia, include a change in Yeddyurappa’s style of functioning, importance to all party MLAs, distribution of important portfolios to ministers who are Independent MLAs.

Yeddyurappa remained closeted with State BJP President K S Eshwarappa and a handful of ministers loyal to him.

There was speculation that the group was in touch with JD(S) State President H D Kumaraswamy and was exploring the possibility of supporting an alternative JD(S)-Congress government. However, the possibility of an alternative government was remote as dissident BJP legislators face threat of disqualification. The JD(S) and the Congress utilised the opportunity to hold parallel meetings, adding fuel to the political speculations.

During the BJP office-bearers meeting, held late in the evening, senior leaders talked to some of the aggrieved MLAs over telephone and assured them of some plum posts at boards and corporations. The  meeting was attended by BJP national general secretary H N Ananth Kumar besides BJP state president K S Eshwarappa, the chief minister among others.

No bail for Katta Jr

The Special Sessions Court for Lokayukta cases on Tuesday rejected the bail petition filed by Katta Jagadeesh, reports DHNS from Bangalore. Jagadeesh, son of minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, was arrested by the Lokayukta Police on September 30 for allegedly paying a bribe of Rs 1 lakh to Ramananjappa, one of the prime witness in the KIADB land scam.