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.
JD-S to decide on action against Kumaraswamy and supporters
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.
Gowda is not expected to come to any conclusion immediately and would seek another round of talks with the BJP in which he would try and convince them to continue with the same combination.
Will power be transferred or will the people have to go to polls is the million dollar question? It all depends on some of the key players who can either make or break the government in Karnataka.
Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy has said that he will step down on October 3, irrespective of whether power is transferred to the BJP.Senior JD (S) leaders have advised the chief minister to continue in power till the issue is sorted out.
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
In a sudden development, Janata Dal-Secular has suspended its negotiations with the Bharatiya Janata Party on the transfer of power in Karnataka.
"JD-S will not transfer power to BJP. See what all will happen on October 3," Singh, a former chief minister, told reporters in Bangalore on Thursday.
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.
Despite the national executive's decision to suspend him, Kumaraswamy said he continued to be the legislature party's leader.
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.
Kumaraswamy and Yediyurappa as CM and Deputy CM of Karnataka.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader B S Yediyurappa took the oath as Deputy Chief Minister.
The meeting will take place at Krishna, the chief minister's official residence on Saturday at 8 am.
The current situation in Karnataka is such that if the controversial Reddy brothers -- state ministers and Bellary's mining tycoons -- are ousted, everyone has something to gain, believes Vicky Nanjappa.
Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa speaks to Karnataka Home Minister Dr V S Acharya, former minister and opposition Janata Dal-Secular minister M C Nanaiah, and state Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde to gauge the various conflicts that are complicating the ongoing political crisis in the state, and presents a comparative report.
Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday requested Justice N Santosh Hegde, who resigned from the post of Lokayukta of Karnataka on June 23 over the manner in which the government had treated some of his reports, to reconsider his decision.
Going a step further after agreeing to swear before god, Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Monday said he was ready to undergo a narco analysis test to prove his claim that Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa through an aide tried to strike a 'compromise' with him.
Janata Dal-Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday alleged that Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa made fresh attempts to 'buy peace' with him in a bid to bring an end to the slugfest between them.
Taking the floor test for the fourth time, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday won the vote of confidence in the state assembly amid empty Opposition benches following walkout by Congress and boycott\\nby the Janata Dal-Secular.
Describing the attack by self-proclaimed moral police on youths in a Mangalore pub as an ugly and heinous incident, Janata Dal-Secular chief, H D Deve Gowda on Monday accused Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa of being responsible for "talibanisation" of Karnataka.
"How can I continue in the ministry when the minorities are neglected?" asked Khan, becoming the first minister to strike a discordant note ever since the JD(S)-BJP ministry came to power in February last year.
While the past experience with the Janata Dal-Secular has ruled out a re-alliance as of now, it seems likely that the BJP may rely on the five independent candidates who have been elected on Sunday. The BJP top brass is already in touch with the five independent candidates to muster their support in order to form the first ever independent BJP government in south India.
The fall of the Congress-led government through a political coup leading to a new Janata Dal (Secular)-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition and the arrest of two Pakistani militants made 2006 an eventful year for Karnataka.
In a fresh salvo against Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Janata Dal-Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy alleged that he and his family had secured "illegal gains" through donations of Rs 27.18 crore made to a trust run by the CM's son.
Bharatiya Janata Party emerged on top with 32-42 out of the 66 seats, which went to polls in the second phase of Karnataka assembly elections on Friday followed by Congress (15-20) and Janata Dal-Secular (8-12), according to an exit poll by NDTV news channel. Others were expected to win around 2-4 seats, the exit poll said.
Union ministers Ravneet Singh Bittu and George Kurian were elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha Tuesday along with senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi and former minister Upendra Kushwaha.
At present in Karnataka, if one takes a close look at the manner in which the tickets are being distributed it is clear that caste is being considered while handing out tickets. The Lingayats and the Vokkaligas have been dominant in Karnataka since time immemorial and the tussle for power between these two communities is no secret.
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.
Former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister M P Prakash passed away at a private hospital in Bangalore on Wednesday after a pro longed battle with cancer.
The bill was defeated by a voice vote on February 23 in the upper house, where the Opposition has a majority, after it was passed by the assembly on February 21.
Gandhi said the 5 'guarantees' promised by the party will be implemented within a few hours after the first Cabinet meeting.
'The Muslims in Karnataka are safe and secure. The state government belongs to everybody.'
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.
A 27 year-old man had complained to the police that Suraj Revanna, the eldest son of Holenarasipura MLA H D Revanna, sexually abused him at his farmhouse in Ghannikada on June 16.
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.
How the ambitions of Deve Gowda's third son Revanna nixed the BJP's first shot at power below the Vindyas.
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.
