Deve Gowda Family's Misdeeds will be Exposed: Yeddyurappa

Bangalore, Oct 6 (PTI): Hitting back at the JDS for its barrage of charges against him on land denotification issue, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today alleged that party supremo H D Deve Gowda's family owned about 5,000 acres of land in benami names in and round the city and vowed to retrieve them for development purpose. 

"Me and my ministerial colleagues will launch a campaign from tomorrow to expose the misdeeds of Gowda and his family members. They own 4,000 to 5,000 acres of land in and around Bangalore in benami names. I will attach their lands and use it for development," he told reporters here.

Yeddyurappa, facing a sharp attack from former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy for the past one week over alleged illegal denotification of lands acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), said, "Gowda and his family are a curse on this state. I will bring before people the irregularities committed by them while they were in power."

He released some documents in support of his charge that family members of Gowda had purchased land near the city. Accusing JDS of attempting to topple his government, he said that the party leaders were engaged in a 'malicious campaign' as they were unable to 'digest' his achievements.

"They (JDS) cannot come to power on their own. They are trying to gain power through backdoor. They are under an illusion that they would return to power. People will teach them a lesson," Yeddyurappa said.

He also claimed that JDS offered money to the tune of Rs 20 to Rs 30 crore to each of the MLAs, to switch loyalty and asked "where did they get this money from?" Taking on the principal opposition Congress, he accused it of being "anti-development" and appealed to it not to forge another 'unholy' alliance with JDS, for which the party suffered earlier and he too bore the burnt. 

Yeddyurappa Threatens Action against Rebel MLAs

Bangalore, Oct 6 (PTI): Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday warned rebel MLAs that he would seek their disqualification from Assembly if they ''failed'' to take back by this evening the letter submitted to Governor H R Bhardwaj withdrawing support to his government. 
 
The warning came from Yeddyurappa minutes after 20 MLAs -- 15 of the ruling BJP and five independents -- submitted a letter to Governor H R Bhardwaj declaring withdrawal of support in fast paced political developments which threatened the stability of the maiden BJP government in the South.

"Some MLAs have met Bhardwaj and submitted him a letter withdrawing support to the government. Probably they are not aware of the Supreme Court ruling (on disqualification). As per the apex court order, they cannot contest polls for six years," he said.

"If they want to show their face to their voters in their constituencies and continue as MLAs, they should withdraw the letter, otherwise, we will take disciplinary action," he told a press conference after an emergency cabinet meeting.

A beleaguered Yeddyurappa, accompanied by several of his ministerial colleagues, also sought to send an indirect message to the Governor against acting on the MLAs letter, saying, "The trial of strength should be held on the Floor of the House."

"At an appropriate time, I will prove my majority. People of the state need not have apprehension over this," he said.

Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa sacked four independent ministers who helped him form the government in 2008 after it fell short of majority for aligning with dissidents.

P M Narendraswamy, S Venkataramanappa, Shivaraj Tangadagi and D Sudharaka, who had won as independents and inducted into the ministry for supporting the BJP government, were dismissed by the Governor on the recommendations of the Chief Minister, according to a Raj Bhavan notification.

Last week, Yeddyurappa dropped Goolihatti Shekar, another independent, from the ministry.

"Some MLAs have already pledged to return to me. By this evening a clear picture will emerge," he said, indicating that efforts were on to win back the rebels who are gunning for his ouster.

He appealed to his party men to allow him to complete his five-year term.