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.
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.
It was a hectic day in the political circles of Bangalore on Sunday with a crucial JD-S legislature party meeting being followed by a meeting between Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and JD-S leader H D Kumaraswamy. The JDLP meeting decided to wait a few more hours to see whether the BJP will agree to its conditions. The BJP has already expressed its unwillingness to sign on the dotted line dictated by the JD-S.
When B S Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister of the state, barely a week back, everyone in Karnataka heaved a sigh of relief thinking that the worst political crisis had finally come to an end. However that does not seem to be the case.
The 12 conditions had been drawn up by JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda and given to BJP president Rajnath Singh while negotiations for the coalition were going on. Gowda had made it clear that his party will support the BJP in government formation only if all these conditions are fulfilled.
M P Prakash, the strongman of the JD-S, in an interview with rediff.com correspondent Vicky Nanjappa, bares his heart about the fate of Karnataka politics, the future of the JD-S and the influence of the Gowda clan on the entire political mess that Karnataka is in at present.
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.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur briefed Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party sits in dharna, the Congress plans to go ahead with a rally to expose the Janata Dal-Secular and BJP, who they claim, have entered into an unholy alliance.
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.
The Janata Dal - Secular on Monday released its first list of 64 candidates for the first phase of Assembly polls on May 10, nominating former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and his elder brother H D Revanna to contest again from Ramanagara and Holenarasipura seats, respectively. Former ministers who secured nominations include N Cheluvarayaswamy (Nagamangala), B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet) and H K Kumaraswamy (Sakleshpur-reserved).
The three and half year old Achuthanandan cabinet is on the verge of expansion with three ministers getting into the ministry after taking the oath of office.
The biggest loser in the ongoing political tug-of-war between the Janata Dal-Secular and the Bharatiya Janata Party will be the state of Karnataka, which has incurred a loss of $5 billion in terms of business investments. Market pundits say that the perennial political instability in the state and indecision by the government in the past one year has lead to the loss of investment opportunities.
In a hard-hitting interview to rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa Sadananda Gowda says the BJP will not settle for anything other than power.
Reacting to the charges made by the JD-S against the BJP in Thursday's convention, Yediyurappa said that he too had a long list of charges against the JD-S but would not like to discuss it now.
Most people feel that the JD-S should hand over power to the BJP as per their agreement, while some feel that if the relationship between the coalition partners has soured to this extent, the state should opt for mid-term elections.
Apparently aimed at keeping the flock together ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, all ruling Congress MLAs in Karnataka will stay put together at a hotel in Bengaluru on Monday after the budget session of the state legislature concludes and will later also travel together for voting the next day.
In the midst of the all the drama that is taking place with regard to the transfer of power in Karnataka, one thing becomes clear and that is the Bharatiya Janata Party at the moment is in no mood for compromise.
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.
Janata Dal-Secular chief H D Deve Gowda on Thursday said that there is no question of him holding talks with senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in New Delhi on the transfer of power until the BJP in Karnataka sorted out its internal differences.
The Janata Dal-Secular said it will transfer power to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka only if it acts against Tourism Minister, B Sriramulu. The 2 parties formed the govt with an understanding Kumaraswamy will hand over power to BJP on Oct 3.
The BJP on Wednesday also named its in-charges for assembly bypolls to four seats in Tripura.
Gowda had said that his party was ready to join the National Democratic Alliance provided the BJP permits H D Kumaraswamy to continue as chief minister for the next 20 months.
Prakash had initially been in talks with the BJP, soon after he left the JD-S due to differences with party chief H D Deve Gowda. However due to differences in principles, Prakash decided to join the Congress party along with around ten other of his supporters.
As many as six Bihar legislators have been booked for violation of the provisions of model code of conduct, which had come into effect following announcement of the assembly polls schedule by the Election Commission on Monday last, official sources said on Friday.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday adjourned to September 9 hearing on an anticipatory bail plea by former chief minister in an alleged graft case.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition ministry headed by H D Kumaraswamy in Karnataka was expanded Friday with the induction of 20 ministers.
The joint session of the assembly will start from Februay 24.
He had the support of 138 legislators in the 224-member House.
The decision on alliance with BJP in the polls will be taken by JD-S President Deve Gowda.
Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has indicated that he will hold the finance portfolio.
While some of the senior Congress leaders are sending feelers to the JD-S regarding power sharing in the seat, a host of other Congress legislators feel that any sort of alignment with the JD-S will spell doom in Karnataka.
JD(S)-BJP not to go for full-fledged ministry on Feb 3
The meeting did not make much headway towards finding a solution to the Karnataka crisis.
Asked about BJP's role in the efforts to oust the Dharam Singh government, Bharti said, "It is justified if the intention is to help people and not to make money."
The new entrants will be welcomed into the party by All India Congress Committee general secretary Prithviraj Chavan in the KPCC office, party state general secretary M Ramachandrappa told PTI in Bangalore.
The Opposition Congress and Janata Dal-Secular members continued their protest in the Karnataka legislative assembly for the third straight night demanding a CBI inquiry into the alleged illegal mining scam.
The mining scam in Karnataka could easily be worth Rs 2,500 crore says Justice Santosh Hegde, the state's Lokayukta. An exclusive first person account to Rediff.com
The new ministers were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor T N Chaturvedi in the Vidhan Soudha premises.
