K’taka crisis: 13 BJP MLAs leave Goa with JDS men

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Panaji/Bangalore, Oct 09, 2010 (IBN): Karnataka’s political merry-go-around continued on Saturday as 13 BJP rebel MLAs, who were staying at a luxury resort in Goa, left for Pune guarded by H D Deve Gowda’s men.

Leader of the rebels and Karnataka Excise Minister M P Renukacharya was not with them and looked set for a return to the BJP.

 

According to reports, a high-voltage political drama unfolded at a five-star hotel on Saturday afternoon when 11 dissident legislators, who were in a meeting with BJP emissaries, were taken out of the place and to airport.

The BJP leaders claimed that "some goons" took away 11 legislators by "dragging" them into cars. Initial reports indicated that 13 legislators were taken away but later BJP leaders said that 11 legislators, including 7 of their own party, were "kidnapped" by a group of "goons".

"They (the dissident MLAs) were sitting in a meeting when suddenly goons appeared from nowhere and took them away. We were stunned," BJP MP from Goa Sripad Naik, who took part in the parleys, told the media outside the hotel.

The events came as a surprise for BJP, which was hoping to break the ice with the dissidents by evening. Naik said that the final round of talks were going on when unexpectedly group of "goons" appeared.

"The legislators did not want to go but they were dragged and dumped into the vehicles," Naik said. At the hotel gate, police had cordoned the entire area and legislators packed in four jeeps were taken in a strict protection.

Renukacharya, who was the last one to walk out of the hotel along with BJP supporters, said JDS leader Kumaraswamy’s close aide Jamir Ahmad was leading the pack of goons who kidnapped the legislators. "All the issues had settled. We all were united and had come to a consensus when goons arrived," Renukacharya said.

Dissident BJP legislators were holed up in the hotel since Thursday. Karnataka’s Tourism Minister Janardhan Reddy, Goa’s Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar and MP Sripad Naik were the part of reconciliation efforts. Reddy had left the hotel in the afternoon claiming that he will soon be back.

Sources stated that BJP leaders had held video conferencing with its high command in Delhi to convince the dissidents.

Meanwhile, two more MLAs are said to have left Chief Minister Yedyurappa’s camp, raising serious doubts about stability of the BJP government in Karnataka.

Earlier, 14 BJP legislators along with five Independents had withdrawn support to the government, reducing it to a minority. But three BJP rebels had come back to party fold following which Karnataka Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah had served notices to 11 dissidents on Friday under anti-defection act. They were asked to reply by Sunday evening why they should not be disqualified as MLAs. The Speaker’s action followed a complaint by the chief minister.

"All the BJP MLAs are going to vote for the government, if they don’t they will lose their membership. If the issues are genuine then the party is ready to address the problems," senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu.

Meanwhile, the JDS has said it’s got nothing to do with two more BJP MLAs turning rebel. The JDS and the BJP have been fighting over the BJP rebels who are believed to be holed up at a five star resort in Goa. Both sides have been claiming the rebels are with them. Hectic efforts were underway at the resort till late Friday night.

As suspense continued over the rebel’s stand especially after one of them signalled last night that the crisis could be over, Goa’s BJP MP Sripad Naik claimed the crisis in the first saffron government in the South is "99 per cent over". Some remaining hitches will be thrashed out during another round of talks.

Naik said three of the six dissident ministers who were dropped will be taken back. One Independent who is pressing for a Cabinet berth will be given a ministerial position, he said. Naik however did not give out the names. He also said the rebels will come out with a joint statement Saturday.

Senior BJP leader in Goa and former chief minister Manohar Parrikar alleged that the JD-S and the Congress was putting "undue pressure" on the rebels to vote against the Yeddyurappa government. Parrikar and Karnataka Tourism minister and mining magnate G Janardhana Reddy, a former foe of the chief minister, were holding the talks on behalf of him.

Opposition JD(S) was also making efforts to woo the rebels to its camp with former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy camping in the same hotel where they are lodged and reportedly trying to stop their return back to the BJP. Kumaraswamy said he was confident of dissident legislators voting against Yeddyurappa during the trust vote.

"Wait for 48 hours, you will come to know their decision. They all are together and will take collective decision," he told reporters. Kumaraswamy, son of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, said he was in Goa to "take rest."

"It’s a dispute within the party and it will be resolved by tomorrow," Parrikar told reporters in Panaji. The Speaker’s move to proceed against 11 rebels was considered as a pressure tactic by the BJP to quell dissidence to save its government.

Karnataka Assembly Secretary S B Patil said in Bangalore that the MLAs on whom the notice has been issued have to meet the Speaker before October 10 by five pm and tender their explanation, a day before when Yeddyurappa would seek a confidence vote on the direction of Governor H R Bhardwaj.

Excise Minister M P Renukacharya, the legislator who is spearheading the dissident campaign and who last night signalled that the crisis may be over, was among the MLAs who got the notice. He had said the government is stable and there is no threat to it. Yeddyurappa on his part said he was "100 per cent sure" that he will win the confidence vote in the state Assembly on October 11.

He was confident that the Congress will not support JD-S’s efforts to woo the BJP rebels to its fold in the attempt to form another government.

Kumaraswamy when asked whether Congress and Janata Dal-S is ready to form alternate government, said he would not like to answer hypothetical questions. "All the opposition group will vote for the no confidence motion," he said. "You will come to know everything on October 11," he said, adding that he had met all the legislators in the resort.

Kumarswamy rubbished claims that he was involved in horse trading to woo the dissident legislators. "They will take their own decision, they will not concede to anything," he said.

Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj, who has often been at loggerheads with the BJP government, said he was sending reports to President Pratibha Patil every day on the political developments in the state. "Everyday I am sending reports on every minutest detail to the President on the developments in Karnataka," Bharadwaj said.

Courtesy: IBN Live