Daijiworld Media Network – Shimoga (SP)

Shimoga, Sep 15: The BJP leaders, by holding secret parleys between warring BJP legislators from the district, Hartalu Halappa and Belur Gopalakrishna, have succeeded in striking a truce between the two. Both of them have now agreed not to issue press statements and launch attacks through the media on each other.

The fact that first time MLA, Hartalu Halappa from Sorab constituency, was given ministerial berth, had angered Belur, BJP MLA from neighbouring constituency, Sagar. Belur has been more vocal of the above, in issuing repeated statements, decrying and deriding Halappa. Their fight had caused discomfiture for the party, as its image had been receiving a beating as a result.

The leaders, Rajya Sabha member, Ayanur Manjunath, and district BJP president, Sidramanna, took the warring MLAs in a car from the BJP office, to a secret location on Tuesday evening. After holding discussions that lasted for over three hours, the leaders successfully urged the duo not to engage in war of words against each other, and to have harmonious relationship. During the discussions, reports said, verbal duels ensued between Halappa and Belur, after Halappa charged that Belur had often engaged in his character assassination.

The leaders particularly warned Balur Gopalakrishna not to issue any statements against Halappa henceforth. They warned both the leaders that the party will initiate disciplinary proceedings, if they do not mend their ways. Belur Gopalakrishna, who had recently demanded for a ministerial berth, has clarified that he was not insistent on this demand, and that he is genuinely interested in working for he welfare of backward classes.

After the parleys, both the MLAs refused to go into the details of discussions held on the occasion. However, they said that as per the advice of the party leaders, both of them have agreed not to go to the media accusing one another.