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B'lore: BJP, JD(S) upset by ‘Love Letter’; Union Cabinet to Discuss

  •   Fri, Nov 02 2007 01:54:15 PM

Newindpress

Bangalore, Nov 2: Even as Karnataka was celebrating Rajyotsava, Janata Dal(S) chief H D Deve Gowda was back to his letter writing days.

Known as a ‘love letter boy’ of Karnataka politics when he kept former chief minister Dharam Singh on tenterhooks with a string of missives, Gowda on Thursday pulled out an old letter, added a few fresh demands and faxed it to BJP national chief Rajnath Singh.

Gowda’s letter came soon after news trickled in that the Union Cabinet did not take up the Karnataka issue or the Governor’s report on the next step to be taken. It is expected to come up on Friday, but if it does not, Karnataka may have to wait till the Prime Minister comes back from his foreign tour - just days before the Parliament is to meet. Gowda put 12 conditions, many old, some new.

But Rajnath cold-shouldered it while the local unit shrugged it off saying they had not received it. Though most of the party legislators were clearly agitated at the hurdle thrown by Gowda, Sadananda Gowda and CM designate Yeddyurappa, who rushed to Bangalore from Karkala to attend an emergency meet ING to discuss the letter, feigned its ignorance.

“As the letter is said to have been addressed to our national president, he will take a decision on it. We abide by the agreements we arrived at 21 months ago when we discussed coalition with Kumaraswamy,” they pointed out.

The sudden development has caused serious resentment in Gowda’s own backyard. According to sources, JD(S) legislators who were adamant on averting mid-term poll, have expressed displeasure to former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy about Gowda’s riders at a time when coalition partners were striving to install an alternative government.

Some of them feared this could throw water on BJP’s enthusiasm to form the government. The letter is also being cited as the reason why the Congress high command is delaying the UPA government’s cabinet decision on Governor’s report.

The letter has brought cheers in Congress camp as it confirmed the view that even if the BJP was invited to form the government, it would be short lived. Thus pushing the coalition partners to face the voters’ wrath for failing to deliver their promise of providing a stable government and also bear the cross of anti-incumbency factor.

“The letter has substantiated our argument that the BJP-JD(S) coalition cannot give a viable and stable government,” Congress sources pointed out. Gowda had prepared another letter on a bond paper laying conditions related to BMIC, mining activity in Bellary and others. However, that one vanished and the new letter on Gowda’s letterhead appeared from nowhere.

“If the letter published in the media is true, then except the first two conditions, the rest are not acceptable,” said a BJP leader.

“The JD(S) violating agreed conditions is not new. In the earlier 20-months, the party agreed to consult BJP while making appointments to posts. But when BJP questioned the party, it maintained that BJP should not interfere in such affairs. How can it impose condition now?” wondered the leader.

“Most ridiculous is the fourth condition. Gowda says the Government should fight nepotism among other evils like corruption. Gowda, who has been projecting his two sons in active politics and another son in backdoor politics, is asking the new government to fight nepotism,” sources in BJP said.

Many of the conditions imply that Gowda fears BJP would give back what the JD(S) had done to it in the previous 20-month tenure. For instance, in 5th condition, Gowda asks MLAs to maintain silence.

He did not apply the same when his party minister passed insulting remarks against Yeddyurappa when he was Deputy CM.

One of Gowda’s conditions implies that the coalition will not last long. He asked the BJP leaders to dissolve the Assembly when the Lok Sabha went to polls.

That is, Gowda does not assure a 19-month term to the present coalition.

Power Play - Karnataka Style:
  

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Title: B'lore: BJP, JD(S) upset by ‘Love Letter’; Union Cabinet to Discuss



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