Bangalore: Infighting in BJP, Cong Doubts Shettar Regime's Survival
 
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
 
Bangalore, Jul 19: Even as Karnataka’s new Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who entered his first session of the State Legislature in his new role in the Government, introduced his ministerial colleages un the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday, the main opposition Congress party expressed serious doubts over the BJP government’s survival till the next assembly polls in May, if they are held as per schedule.

As soon as Shettar started introduced his cabinet colleagues to members of the House, Congress party’s deputy leader in the assembly T B Jayachandra, supported by his party members, said there were two visible rival camps in the ruling BJP – one led by former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and other led by D V Sadananda Gowda – who had bargained hard to get their supporters into the Cabinet during the formation of the Government headed by Shettar. Yet another major faction within the ruling party comprises of the disgruntled MLAs, who are angry at the party for ignoring their claims for ministerial berths.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Visveswara Hegde Kagri objected Jayachandra’s statement and termed it as “politically motivated” and pointed out that the Congress party was day-dreaming if it thinks it can derive political mileage by harping on the differences within BJP.

Speaker K G Bopaiah intervened and said the issue was irrelevant as Governor H R Bhardwaj has not asked the Shettar Government to prove its majority on the floor of the House.

But Congress opposition leader Siddaramaiah said the hectic lobbying, jockeying and infighting for ministerial berths and the tussel over portfolios hampered implementation of drought relief measures in the State.

Demanding a comprehensive debate on the severe drought situation in the State, which affected nearly three-fourths of the State, Siddaramaiah said the ruling BJP was more concerned about change of the Chief Minister and induction of new faces in the Cabinet rather than tackling drinking water crisis and fodder shortage.

A large number of people migrated to cities such as Bangalore and Mangalore seeking daily wages. “Despite severe drought, you are (Ministers) are fighting for the Chair (Chief Minister),” he said.

Noting groupism, factionalism and dissidence in the BJP hit the governance and administration, Siddaramaiah said the ruling party leaders main agenda during the last nine months was removal of D V Sadananda Gowda from the Chief Minister’s chair.

The State was facing its worst drought in more than four decades. He dubbed the Government “irresponsible” and said the “power struggle” in the past nine months had seriously affected the people.

Sowing has come to a standstill due to 43 per cent deficit rainfall, he said pointing out that against the normal 336 mm rainfall, the State had received 191 mm as July 16.
Against the targeted coverage of 74.70 lakh hectares, only 20 lakh hectares was sown and already planted crops were withered due to erratic monsoon.

After last year’s drought, the farmers have been facing severe financial crisis due to inadequate rainfall this year. Tanks have dried up in many parts of the State, and water-level in reservoirs have fallen sharply.

Paddy, jowar, ragi, maize, groundnut, oilseeds and other sown seedlings had dried up due to shortage of timely of rainfall, he said the coming weeks will prove whether the State can recover or not.

Urging the Government to change the crop insurance scheme and set up telemetric rain gauges at the gram panchayat level to measure rainfall. Now, rainfall at the hobli level was considered for payment of insurance amount to farmers for their crops damage.

Farmers in the State are in distress and if the State did not receive sufficient rains by July end, the situation in rural areas would be “unimaginable”. This year’s drought is worst one since 1971”, he said.

The disbursement of crop loans to farmers at zero per cent rate of interest rate up to Rs 1 lakh was negligible.

The Chief Minister’s statement on cloud seeding was misleading the public and no action had been taken on that front so far, Siddaramaiah claimed.

Lokayukta appointment after SC verdict, says CM;Cong walks out

Bangalore, Jul 19 (PTI): Rejecting opposition charge that the BJP government was not keen on appointment of Lokayukta, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar today said the post
would be filled once the Supreme Court gave its verdict on a connected petition.

The appointment of Lokayukta would be made after the apex court gave its verdict on a special leave petition challenging state high Court's order quashing the notification appointing Justice Chandrashekaraiah as Upa Lokayukta and also prescribing the procedure for appointment of Lokayukta and Upa Lokayukta, he said in the Legislative Council.

Responding to Congress member K Govindaraj, who raised the issue of delay in filling the post of Lokayukta lying vacant since September 29, 2011, Shettar said it was wrong to say that the government was not keen on appointing Lokayukta.

Not satisfied with Shettar's reply, Congress members led by Leader of the Opposition S R Patil staged a walkout shouting slogans against the government.

Earlier, raising the issue, Govindaraj sought reasons for the delay in appointment of the Lokayukta and questioned the intentions of the state government by asking whether it was interested in appointing the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta.

Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai attacked the Congress saying it did not have the moral right to protest over the issue since they ruled the state in S M Krishna's tenure without appointing Lokayukta.
The high court had earlier this week pulled up the government for the delay in appointing the Lokayukta and warned that it would write to the Governor.

"There is a Constitutional crisis in the state...if this continues, the government will be in trouble," it had said.

The post of Lokayukta has remained vacant since former Supreme Court Judge Shivaraj Patil, who succeeded high-profile Santosh Hegde, quit the post in the wake of allegations of getting land allotment in violation of rules.

After Patil's exit, the BJP government recommended the name of former Kerala High Court Chief Justice S R Bannurmath but Governor H R Bhardwaj refused to accept it insisting on a "spotless candidate". Bannurmath later opted out of the post.