Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's announcement -- that his government may grant second capital status to Belgaum -- has evoked sharp reactions from political parties in Maharashtra. Maharashtra has been demanding that Marathi speaking areas of Karnataka, including Belgaum, be merged with the state. Leaders of Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP flayed the statement. Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan said Yeddyurappa had spoken out of turn.
After the Congress and the Janata Dal-United discontent now appeared to be brewing within the Bharatiya Janata Party against state President B S Yeddyurappa over the appointment of party office bearers.
In the wake of Karnataka Lokayukta's indictment of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on the illegal mining issue, Congress on Thursday gunned for his removal, but a defensive Bharatiya Janata Party said the report had "lost sanctity" as it has been leaked.
In yet another sign of fissure in his relations with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj has sought an "unconditional apology" from Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa over his reported remarks on illegal mining issue.
A meeting that was meant to layout the roadmap for the Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party ended abruptly on Friday with some tough talk by party president Nitin Gadkari aimed directly at former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
Personal differences between the two alliance partners, Congress insiders say, are owing to Kumaraswamy's style of functioning. He, unlike his father, is suspected to have a soft corner for the BJP, reports Bibhu Ranjan Mishra.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has reacted sharply to the statements of Governor H R Bharadwaj and has said that he would meet him on Friday and set the record straight.
Karnataka ministers G Janardhan Reddy and G Karuanakar Reddy, under pressure over allegations of illegal mining, today paid an unscheduled visit to New Delhi and met senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, after which they dismissed all the charges against them.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa has told the state executive meeting of his newly-floated Karnataka Janata Paksha that the merger with Bharatiya Janata Party has not materialised.
Stepping up its attack on the alleged land scandals, opposition Janata Dal - Secular on Monday accused Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa of denotifying some land in Bengaluru in violation of court rulings and levelled bribery charges against him. Former chief minister and state JD-S president H D Kumaraswamy alleged that Yeddyurappa had denotified more than five acres acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority for a layout at Nagarbhavi.
The BJP seems to be divided on who would be the next chief minister of Karnataka. While the party high command is keen on Ananth Kumar, the Yeddyurappa camp has its own favourites. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
A crucial meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party, chaired by B S Yeddyurappa, will be held at 4:30 am on Friday at Hotel Ashok.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde's report on illegal mining in the state is expected to be submitted any time now. Going by the 'leaks' from the Lokayukta's office, the report implicates around 600 figures, including Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa.
20 lawmakers did not turn up on Thursday, including 17 from the ruling coalition, 12 of whom are corralled in a hotel in Mumbai, as the House debated in a surcharged atmosphere.
"Development of the state will top my priority list. It is never easy running a coalition. Keeping the partners happy and working in tandem along with them will be challenging. But I am sure I can handle it," says Yeddyurappa.
Kumaraswamy had proved right the adage that politics is the art of the possible, but the science graduate failed to get his chemistry right in keeping the coalition legislators together to ensure his government's longevity.
Renewing his attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka, Governor H R Bhardwaj on Friday charged it with having 'failed' to check illegal mining and demanded that Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa reply to his recent letters on illegal mining and alleged land scams. "Illegal mining is still continuing. No action is taken by the government here," said Bhardwaj, who wrote to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa two days ago seeking a report on the issue.
Lok Sabha member D V Sadananda Gowda was on Thursday sworn-in as chief minister of Karnataka, succeeding B S Yeddyurappa, who quit in the wake of the Lokayukta report on illegal mining that indicted him.
Facing persistent heat from the dissident camp led by his predecessor B S Yeddyurappa, Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Monday welcomed the decision by nine ministers to withdraw resignations.
Celebrations have begun at the Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi after the Bharatiya Janata Party high command decided to allow B S Yeddyurappa to continue as the state chief minister. The beleaguered chief minister has been facing charges of a land allocation scam.An official announcement to this effect will be made by Bharatiya Janata Party chief Nitin Gadkari. The high command has decided that Yeddyurappa should continue in office.
Siddaramaiah asserted that the Karnataka government was a 'strong' one and ridiculed state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa for repeatedly claiming that the coalition will collapse.
Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah were involved in attempts to topple the JD-S-Congress government in Karnataka.
Suspected Janata Dal-Secular supporters attacked the residence of a key aide of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa after he made allegations of land-grabbing against the former prime minister and their party chief H D Deve Gowda
Swami, who headed the Sree Siddaganga Mutt, breathed his last at the age of 111 on Monday at 11.44 am.
In yet another step to implement the truce deal with the dissidents to end the crisis in his government, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday rescinded the transfer orders of some officials, two weeks after he had shunted them out to strike at the rebels gunning for his removal.
The return of the former Karnataka CM depends on how the BJP will fare in the May 5 assembly elections, reports Vicky Nanjappa
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday visited the family of Siddalingappa Choori, who was killed in police firing at Haveri on Tuesday.Yeddyurappa handed over a cheque of Rs two lakh to the farmer's family. The Chief Minister said that he was shocked and deeply hurt by the incident.Accompanied by Public Works Minister C M Udasi and Medium and Major Irrigation Minister Basavaraja Bommai, the CM assured the family all help and offered a job to a family member.
The petition filed by Yeddyurappa said that on October one, Kumaraswamy son of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda alleged that a Rs 50 crore kickback was involved in awarding the contract for construction of residential quarters for economically-weaker sections in Ejipura in Bangalore to a private construction company Maverick Holdings.
Charging them under the Prevention of Corruption Act and several IPC provisions, including criminal conspiracy and cheating.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday told journalists that the ongoing crisis in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state had come to an end. However, rebel leader and state Tourism Minister B Janardhan Reddy, who is demanding a change in the state leadership, declared that he had not changed his stance.Informed sources said that as per the formula, certain changes will be made in the state cabinet.
The new CM said the coalition government will work for the people and was not here to fulfil personal interests.
The Karnataka high court on Monday directed former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa to place before it the report prepared by Dr U V Singh, the state's chief conservator of forests, on the basis of which the Lokayukta report had been prepared.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday downplayed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's absence from its national executive meeting in Delhi.
Bharatiya Janata Party, making desperate attempts to come back to power at the Centre, is going by the stars and planetary positions, to ensure that a key conclave beginning in Bangalore on Friday brings good luck. Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, an astrology enthusiast, has taken extra pains to avoid 'Rahu Kalam' (inauspicious period) during the three-day meet, party sources said.
The chief minister released a report card in which the achievements of the government were listed out. Yeddyurappa said most promises made to voters had been fulfilled and in the days to come, people could expect more good things from his government.
Kumaraswamy found himself in a raging controversy on Tuesday after a video of his telephonic instruction to "shoot mercilessly" those who had killed a Janata Dal-Secular worker in the party's stronghold of Mandya district on Monday went viral.
The confidence motion moved by Kumaraswamy was defeated with 99 members voting for the motion and 105 against it in a House of 225 including speaker P R Ramesh Kumar and a nominated member.
Vicky Nanjappa explains Yeddyurappa's Plan B, and tells us what made him go soft on Bharatiya Janata Party today.
The stalemate continued in the Bharatiya Janata Party over the decision to sack B S Yeddyurappa as the Chief Minister. Dr V S Acharya, Education minister in the Karnataka Government who just held a meeting with BJP chief Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi told rediff.com that it is not easy changing the chief minister and he has conveyed the same to Gadkari.
Yeddyurappa and his 65 legislators, who were revolting for a leadership change in Karnataka, finally agreed to attend the budget session after an assurance from the party's central leadership that their grievances would be looked into.
