BJP let Yeddyurappa get away with indiscretions as it did not want to rock the boat in Karnataka, says Aditi Phadnis
In its Karnataka assembly poll manifesto, which was released on May 2, the Congress said it is committed to take firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and the PFI "spreading hatred" among communities on the grounds of caste and religion.
In the public eye, it seemed as though leaders were talking to each other in person or through the media. In reality, leaders refused to even see eye-to-eye and utilized the services of a mediator to do all the talking. What happened behind the scenes? How did the allies mend the fences? Rediff.com spoke to the official mediators of the JDS and the BJP to find out.
Janata Dal - Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday ended his two-day-old 'indefinite' fast to demand a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's allegation that he and his family had amassed illegal wealth worth Rs 1,500 crore. Kumaraswamy was offered a glass of fruit juice by Jnanapeetha Awardee U R Ananthamurthy at Freedom Park after the latter urged him to withdrew the fast, which the JD-S leader accepted.
Their resignations came shortly after 21 ministers of coalition partner Congress quit the cabinet.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has plenty to smile about, after it swept the elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike or the Bengaluru Municipal Corporation which had remained dissolved for three years.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha, who is in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, briefed the top party leadership about the crisis in the state following the suspension of talks between the BJP and JD (S) abt the impending power transfer
Gowda has hinted that there might be polls held soon in the state.
The Karnataka state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to be more assertive in their approach to put to an end the free run of their coalition partner the Janata Dal-Secular.
The former prime minister said that he will take a decision about transferring power to the BJP after meeting top party leaders on September 27.
When the two parties formed the government, they mutually agreed that the Janata Dal (Secular) will hand over power to the BJP on October 3, 2007.
The Karnataka unit of the Congress is yet to name its chief ministerial candidate. The party has intentionally shied away from naming its chief ministerial candidate. It is currently riding high on its recent success in the local body polls and does not want any infighting to break out.
JD-S leaders are in constant touch with several candidates of both the Congress and the BJP and are hopeful that these candidates would agree to join their party. The Congress and the BJP have recently pocketed several JD-S candidates and now Deve Gowda's party has the opportunity to return the favour. To tackle the JD-S, the Congress is trying to delay the announcement of its final list, while the BJP is trying to downplay the widespread resentment among its party members.
Under attack from the Congress and the Janatha Dal Secular, while also battling threats of being ousted, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday said his government enjoyed majority. He said there was no need for 'Operation Lotus' under which opposition members of the legislative assembly were lured to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Hassan seat, has become a bone of contention, as Gowda's daughter-in-law Bhavani Revanna, who has thrown her hat in the ring, has not relented, despite her brother-in-law Kumaraswamy, repeatedly making it clear that she will not be fielded, and instead a 'loyal party worker' will enter the fray.
Over the last few days, K R Ramesh Kumar has made all efforts to ensure the Congress-Janata Dal-Secular coalition stays in power, resulting in him being under tremendous pressure.
The BJP state unit is banking on the party's central leadership to shore up its prospects in the May 10 assembly polls as it fights anti-incumbency.
The JD-S says that it will go all out to woo voters and will also send a strong message across, to explain that the party is not guilty of creating the biggest political turmoil in the state. While other political parties have already started canvassing, the JD-S has been taking its time. Its opponents, specially the BJP, claim that Deve Gowda's party was delaying its campaigning as it was scared to face the people after bringing two successive governments down.
In a tit-for-tat offensive against the family members of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka on Thursday ordered a probe into certain land deals said to have been made by them.
In spite of the JD (S) flip-flopping on the issue of power transfer in Karnataka, its ally Bhartiya Janata Party is hopeful that the JD-S will keep its side of the bargain, party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.
There was more trouble in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday with the House Committee recommending the suspension of 15 members of Legislative Assembly for creating ruckus on the floor of the House.
There was more trouble in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday with the House Committee recommending the suspension of 15 members of Legislative Assembly for creating ruckus on the floor of the House.
Karanatka's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party toll early leads in the crucial zilla and taluka panchayat elections on Tuesday by emerging victorious in 12 out of the 30 districts in the fray. However, party insiders say that the results were below their expectations.
This time, aspiring candidates are presenting neat applications. A bio-data, running into a minimum of four pages and mentioning all their credentials, letters of recommendation and several papers mentioning their loyalty towards their respective party. However, in Karnataka, at least this time, it is very evident that the elections are going to be fought mainly on the caste factor.
Hectic parleys were on between Bommai and central leaders in Delhi during the last couple of days, to finalise the cabinet expansion.
Janata Dal Secular chief H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday said that Biju Janata Dal chief and Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik would definitely join the Third Front, following the split in the BJD- Bharatiya Janata Party alliance.Gowda said that he had spoken to Patnaik, who had assured him that he will join the Third Front unconditionally.When queried about the Third Front rally, which will be held in Bangalore on Thursday, Gowda said Patnaik would not be able to attend.
Over 65 Union ministers are likely to take oath, going by the visual of the meeting Modi held with his likely council of ministers.
in payment of compensation to land owners by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he spoke to Deve Gowda to enquire about his and his wife's health.
Janata Dal-Secular president and former prime minister H D Dewa Gowda has dissolved the Kerala committee of the party led by veteran leader and former Member of Parliament M P Veerendrakumar.While Veerendrakumar alleged that Gowda has dissolved the state committee in accordance with the wishes of Kerala Communist Party of India-Marxist secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Gowda claimed that he had never even met Vijayan.
After the expansion, the second by the coalition government, the strength of the ministry rose to 30.
Whether I have become a political untouchable now or not, will be decided by the people of Karnataka, says JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda.
While Prakash has hinted at leaving the JD-S in the past, party chief Deve Gowda seemed unaffected, sarcastically saying that anyone who wanted to join Prakash was welcome to do so.
A crucial meeting of the Janata Dal-Secular legislature party is scheduled to commence at 0900 hours where a final call will be taken whether to support the BJP or not. JDS supreme H D Deve Gowda has been authorised by his party to take the final decision.
A couple of independent MLAs led by Vatal Nagraj of the Vatal party said that it is not correct to form the government especially when a petition seeking disqualification of the JD-S MLAs is pending before the speaker.
An expansion of the Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party Council of Ministers in Karnataka will take place within a fortnight, state Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said Tuesday.
Cracks in the JD-S were evident when H D Revanna, who is the son of JD-S chief H D Deve Gowda did not go to Rashtrapathi Bhavan where both the JD-S and BJP MLAs were paraded before President Prathibha Patil.
JD-S to decide on action against Kumaraswamy and supporters
There are critics who say the Bommai's government was not able to counter the Congress narrative to paint his administration as corrupt, a factor that helped the Congress surge in the May 10 assembly elections.
After days of hard bargaining and brinksmanship, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has finally consented to become deputy CM as per the arrangement between the two parties, sources revealed. But there is one hitch still left for Yediyurappa. Kumaraswamy's brother Revanna is not in favour of the deal, but an overwhelming majority of the JD-S legislators, who stand to lose their perks if the assembly is dissolved, are expected to convince Revanna at a crucial JD-S party meet today.
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