Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Begaluru, Dec 22: Some sources claim that there is likelihood of the transfer of Karnataka governor, Vajubhai Vala, to either Madhya Pradesh or some other north Indian state. They added that there is possibility of the current governor of Madhya Pradesh, O P Kohli,l succeeding him as Karnataka governor.

Vala, it is said, faces language problem, and there are certain political considerations behind the coming transfer, it is said. It is learnt that some top BJP leaders from here have complained to the central leadership that Vala has soft corner for the state government, although he has stood his ground in rejecting to sign certin bills and remaining firm on appointment of vice chancellors to universities. A BJP leader says that therefore the union government is thinking in favour of appointing a strict governor to Karnataka which is on the threshold of facing assembly election.

Some Raj Bhavan officials have said that Vala himself has sought for his transfer from here as he feels that it is difficult to handle administration by using Hindi as medium of communication. The governor, it is learnt, finds it difficult to manage things with English and Kannada too. Therefore, reportedly he has opted to be transferred to Madhya Pradesh.

In the meantime, the Congress government in the state has complained to the union home ministry against the state governor's refusal to sign the bill meant to protect interests of state government employees who got the benefit of reservation-based promotions, which has been struck down by the Supreme Court. "After the governor sent back the ordinance prepared on the issue, as per his suggestion, the bill had got the nod of both houses of the legislature. Therefore, he was not right in refusing to sign it and sending the bill for Presidential assent," the state government has said in its letter.

There had also been rumours about the leaders opting to make Vajubhai Vala the chief minister of Gujarat, as he is backed by the experience of having functioned as finance minister there and that Modi also was backing him to the post. However, taking into age factor and some local political compulsions, the BJP leaders now want to elevate some local leader as the next chief minister, sources said.