Majority of MLAs Stay Away from CM's Meeting, Fissures in Open
Bangalore, Mar 18 (PTI)
The apparent move by the Chief Minister's camp to demonstrate the strength of B S Yeddyurappa appeared to have backfired today as majority of the legislators stayed away from the meeting, bringing to the open fissures in the ruling BJP.
Ministers G Karunakara Reddy, G Janardhana Reddy and Jagadish Shettar,seen to be in the anti-Yeddyurappa block, are among a number of Ministers who skipped the breakfast interaction at the Chief Minister's Race Course residence.
Their action has sent a clear message that all-is-not-well in the BJP's first government in the south which is completing three years in office in May-end. The party's state unit President K S Eshwarappa and senior party leader H N Ananth Kumar, who seem to have emerged as a rallying point for Yeddyurappa detractors, were also conspicuous by their absence.
Only around 40 MLAs and Ministers attended the meeting. They included Yeddyurappa loyalists V S Acharya, C M Udasi, Murugesh Nirani, Umesh Katti, B N Bachegowda, V Somanna, Lakshman Savadi, Govind Karjol and Basavaraja Bommai.
The BJP enjoys the support of 107 MLAs in the Assembly, including the Speaker. A BJP source said a significant number of attendees were not "originally from the party", suggesting that they came from other outfits over a period of time. The meeting is expected to spark a "loyalist-outsider" debate.
The new dissident activity started on a dramatic fashion on Wednesday night with some 50 MLAs and Ministers holding a meeting with Eshwarappa and Ananth Kumar airing their grievances against Yeddyurappa. Yeddyurappa's detractors were unhappy particulary about the non-development of their constituencies, the Chief Minister's "dictatorial attitude" and "his habit of taking unilateral decisions" without taking the party into confidence.
After the meeting today, the Chief Minister's camp let it be known that MLAs and Ministers came on their own, and there was no formal meeting. Speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa yet again targetted the opposition JDS, particularly former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, charging them with somehow trying to dent his image for one reason or other, unable to digest the BJP rule in the State.
"In this attempt (trying to dent his image), the JDS leaders and Congress leaders have joined hands", he said.
Yeddyurappa accused the opposition JDS and Congress of trying to make the Prerana Trust a "big issue". The Congress and JDS have alleged that the Trust, in which Yeddyurappa's sons were among the Trustees, received donations from real estate and mining firms in return for government favours.
The JDS was attacking him only to retain the party's existence in the State, the Chief Minister said, adding, its only aim was to tarnish his image somehow. Warning the Congress, he said "If you want to retain your existence, don't attempt to cooperate with this father-son party (JDS) which has destroyed the State; otherwise you will vanish without address, people will show you your way".