From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 25: Karnataka Government has sought the Advocate General’s opinion on whether there was any violation of rules in securing allotment of site by Law Minister S Suresh Kumar under the Chief Minister’s discretionary quota.

The Law Minister had resigned following a report in a daily over the allegations that he had violated the rules and had asked the Chief Minister to conduct an appropriate probe to decide whether he was ''guilty or innocent.”

“I have asked for a report from the Advocate General on the issue. On receipt of the report I will take a decision on the resignation tendered by Kumar,” Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said.

Upset over reports that he violated rules in securing the site from the Bangalore Development Authority, Suresh Kumar had resigned from the Sadananda Gowda ministry on June 23.

But the chief minister had refused to accept the resignation and contended that the minister was innocent and had not violated any rules. There has been intense pressure from the party workers, general public and BJP leaders on Suresh Kumar to withdraw his resignation.

Sadananda Gowda asserted he would accept the resignation only if it was proved that the rules were violated. Suresh Kumar, however, has stuck to his decision and said he would not withdraw his resignation.

On the burden of portfolios on him increasing further with Suresh Kumar’s resignation, Sadananda Gowda, who is already holding charge of 20 departments with 11 vacant ministerial berths, said he has been managing them in the last nine months without giving scope for any lapse.

“I never felt the burden while managing several portfolios. But the media has been creating confusion in the minds of people,” he said.

''You (media) people seem to be more concerned about me,” he said adding in a lighter vein: ''I am grateful for your concern.”

Bogged down by persistent internal feud in the party since he took over last August, Sadananda Gowda has not been able to fill up the ministerial vacancies.

A section of BJP legislators, including C T Ravi and Appachu Ranjan, who were clamouring for ministerial berths with hardly a year left for the assembly polls in 2013, have been exerting pressure on the chief minister to complete the exercise of cabinet expansion. These legislators are worried over speculation in political circles that the assembly polls might be advanced and held in December along with the assembly polls in Gujarat, which leaves hardly six months.