From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Oct 13: Even as Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has convened an all-party meeting in Bengaluru on October 19 to finalise the State’s stand on the Mahadayi water sharing issue before the tripartite meeting being hosted by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar in Mumbai on October 21, senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge contended that Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone can help in resolving the issue.

BJP opposition leader in the Karnataka assembly Jagadish Shettar, who is also the former Chief Minister, took strong exception to Kharge’s attempts to politicise the issue and drag Prime Minister’s intervention.

However, the State BJP leaders have strongly opposed Kharge’s attempts to drag Modi into the issue.

He objected to the Goa unit of the Congress party’s opposition on sharing of the Mahadayi river waters with the State and blasted the State Congress leaders for not holding talks with the counterparts for resolving the dispute.

Shettar said Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge should refrain from politicising the issue and seeking intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the Mahadayi water dispute between three states.

“It has become a habit for the Congress to seek Modi's intervention for resolving all disputes,’’he said pointing out that the Prime Minister has many other responsibilities.

The Congress which ruled the country for 10 years (2004-14) had done nothing for resolving the dispute, he alleged.

Shettar said Siddaramaiah and Kharge should speak to the Congress leaders of Goa and convince them on the necessity of finding an amicable solution to the inter-state row over sharing of waters.

A meeting between three Chief Ministers on October 21 would provide a good platform for future negotiations, he said.

“The meeting will provide an environment for further talks. We have to look forward positively,” the BJP leader said.

Keeping an eye on next year’s Assembly elections, Congress Leader (Opposition) in the Goa Assembly and former chief minister Pratap Singh Rane has strongly opposed sharing of water with Karnataka.

A delegation of the BJP leaders called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on Wednesday and explained the importance of resolving the dispute between states.

However, Kharge is of the view that a meeting between equals (Chief Ministers) is unlikely to end the row, which could not be resolved so far.

Therefore the Prime Minister should chair a meeting to find a solution to the dispute, the Congress leader said.

In a statement, State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa strongly deplored Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Assembly and former Chief Minister Pratap Singh Rane’s statement that “not a drop of water of Mahadayi must be released to Karnataka.”

Goa would go to polls early next year and the Opposition Congress there has been encashing sentiments of the people by opposing the sharing of waters, State BJP leaders alleged.

However, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence of positive outcome during the Octohber 21 meeting to be chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.

Siddaramaiah felt that both Devendra Fadnavis and Laxmikant Parsekar belonged to BJP and hoped that his Goa counterpart would listen to his senior party colleague.