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.
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.
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 to decide on action against Kumaraswamy and supporters
"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.
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.
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.
Despite the national executive's decision to suspend him, Kumaraswamy said he continued to be the legislature party's leader.
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.
The meeting will take place at Krishna, the chief minister's official residence on Saturday at 8 am.
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.
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.
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.
The Nationalist Congress Party has claimed all the 28 Congress corporators in Malegaon city in Maharashtra's Nashik district, including the mayor, crossed over to the party on Thursday.
Here's how the prominent leaders in the fray in Karataka elections have performed.
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.
Parameshwara said the chief minister had written a letter to the prime minister on the issue, and added that cancelling Prajwal's passport after a warrant is issued against him is the Centre's duty.
In 2019, actor turned-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent backed by the BJP, won by defeating then Kumaraswamy's son and joint candidate of the then ruling Congress-JD-S alliance Nikhil by 1,25,876 votes.
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
'Some of his ministers have performed abysmally, and Bommai has faced an unwanted campaign of religious polarisation imposed by national BJP leaders.'
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.
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.
The Shiromani Akali Dal skipped the meeting, besides the Aam Aadmi Party, the TRS and the BJD.
A day before counting of votes polled in the Karnataka assembly elections, both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress on Friday went into a huddle and held strategy sessions on ways to keep their flock together.
Fresh after winning the second trust vote on Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Friday called for a cabinet meeting on October 18, where is expected to re-shuffle his state cabinet.