Yeddy-Reddy Bhai-bhai Now, Both Camps Bury the Hatchet?

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bellary

Bellary, May 27: Much to the chagrin of the Congress and the JD(S) leaders, who always try to fish in troubled waters and seek to exploit BJP’s internal strife as an opportunity to corner the B S Yeddyurappa regime in Karnataka, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and the all powerful Bellary ministers on Wednesday publicly indicated that they are back to being bhai-bhai now.

The Chief Minister, who has been maintaining a studied silence after the bitter power struggle within the ruling party in which the trio of Gali Janardhana Reddy-Gali Karunakara Reddy-B Sriramulu along with their supporters sought a change of leadership and had to be finally persuaded by the party’s central leadership to ensure that the first-ever BJP government in the state was not allowed to fall, attended a series of programmes in Bellary and the body language exhibited by both camps indicated that they have buried their hatchet.

Yeddyurappa inaugurated a series of developmental schemes including as many as six widened roads within the city and 14-km long bypass road that provides a vital link to Bellary-Hospet and Bellary-Bangalore Roads and also a much needed alternate route to goods transporters who otherwise had to pass through heart of the city creating traffic jam.

At the foundation laying ceremony held at the VIMS campus, Tourism and Infrastructure Development Minister Janardhan Reddy, who is also the district in-charge minister, lauded the Chief Minister for his “unstinted” support to develop Bellary district.

Reddy said he wished to profusely thank the Chief Minister on behalf of the district people. “We all owe a lot to Yeddyurappa, who is our beloved leader,” he said.

On his turn, Yeddyurappa showered accolades on the Reddy brothers.  “Work should speak about one’s achievement and not tall claims. Chanting development mantra itself should not become an achievement,” he said pointing out that, ``Bellary has shown to  rest of Karnataka, the actual meaning of development. The government has also been initiating measures to develop other district centers.”

What was noteworthy about Yeddyurappa’s visit to the once flood-affected villages such as Hachholli, T S Kudlur and Matur in Shirguppa taluk.

He inspected the ongoing house construction meant for those lost their homes in the unprecedented floods that devastated villages on either side of the Thungabhadra river in November last and expressed satisfaction about the pace in which rehabilitation was going on.

Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy, Urban Development Minister Suresh Kumar, Housing and IT-BT Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, Health and Family Welfare Minister B Sriramulu, Bellary MLA and KMF Chairman G Somashekhar Reddy, local MLA Somalingappa accompanied the Chief Minister during the visit to the villages of rehabilitation.
Interestingly, the rift between Yeddyurappa and the Reddy brothers surfaced soon after the flood havoc and the task of taking up rehabilitation works,

Soon after the last November floods, the Reddy brothers instantly came forward to rehabilitate the divastated villages by mobilizing money on their own.

However, the Chief Minister rejected the move and instead, wanted them to donate money so that the Government could take up the work.

Taking sharp exception to the rebuff by the Chief Minsiter, the Reddys went ahead with the rehabilitation work with Revenue Minister Karunakar Reddy laid foundation stone for house construction in the villages during third week of November.

In an effort to scuttle this, the Yeddyurappa regime effected en-masse  transfer of district officials including the Deputy Commissioner B Shivappa and other officers loyal to the Reddy brothers, of which had to be rescinded and the Chief Minister had to drop his close confidant Shobha Karandlaje as the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minsiter as also his principal private secretary V P Baligar, who was shunted out.

Talking reporters at Bellary, Yeddyurappa said as many as 10,000 houses would be constructed in two months and the rest in next six months.
The Centre had released Rs 1,750 crore and Rs 450 crore had come through public donation for the rehabilitation work, he said and admitted that there was some delay in acquiring land in some places.

On former Chief Minister and state JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy’s call to people to kick out BJP ministers for their alleged failure to accomplish rehabilitation of flood affected people, Yeddyurappa said the people would give a befitting reply to such uncivilized persons.

He decried the criticism by the Opposition that farmers rally at Koodalasangam was an RSS conglomeration. ``I am proud of my RSS roots and as a disciple of RSS,” he said pointing out that the same RSS disciples once occupied top posts in the country.

The Chief Minister, however, parried questions on the Cabinet expansion issue. ``It will be done at the appropriate time after consulting party leaders,” he said.

Yeddyurappa, who addressed a rally in the evening, will be leaving Bellary tomorrow morning.