Bangalore: Minister Somanna to Resign Today, Sudhakar's Future Undecided
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Aug 31: Reportedly, state housing and muzrai minister V Somanna, has decided to resign today. He will most probably, be putting in his papers before noon today, after seeking the blessings of Dr Sri Shivakumara Swamiji, spiritual head of Siddhaganga Mutt, Tumkur.
Somanna, considered to be a political heavy-weight, had been brought into the BJP from the Congress Party, to improve the chances of the party in the forthcoming Bangalore Bruhat Mahanagara Palike election to be held shortly. However, unexpectedly, Somanna lost the assembly election from Govindarajanagar constituency in the city by a slender margin. Major reasons for his defeat are attributed to the clever maneuvering by the JDS, which ensured that the nomination papers of its candidate was rejected on technical grounds, and then decided to support the Congress candidate, and some local BJP leaders, who worked against Somanna. It is learnt, the party has pinpointed the leaders who contributed to Somanna's downfall, and has decided to initiate action against them.
Somanna had been administered oath of office in the third week of June. When a non-elected person is included in the state cabinet, he has to get elected within six months, either to the assembly or the council, to be able to continue in office, failing which, he will automatically lose his position at the end of six months. Somanna has time till December 18, and reports say that the BJP leaders including Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, state BJP president D V Sadanand Gowda and others, had decided to allow Somanna to continue in office. However, Somanna has volunteered to resign. In all probability, he will be fielded by the BJP in the forthcoming council election scheduled in January, 2010 and then make him a minister again.
At the same time, the Chief Minister has been facing intensive pressure to drop social welfare minister D Sudhakar, as he is facing a fraud case and that the Central Bureau of Investigation has already named him in its charge sheet filed in the court. The party men are apprehensive, that continuance of Sudhakar in the cabinet will tarnish the image of the party in the state.
The Chief Minister will be proceeding for China tour on September 1. He may be forced to take a decision about Sudhakar before the start of the assembly session that will begin on September 9.