With barely a day to go before the much-hyped Lokyukta report on illegal mining, Karnataka has erupted into a hotbed of activity. While Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's rivals are plotting his removal in the wake of his name appearing in the report, the man himself is holding his chair very tight.
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.
The Bharatiya Janata Party central leadership was not divided over the issue of taking action against Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, facing corruption charges, but no prima facie case has yet been made out against him, senior leader Rajnath Singh said in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Karnataka Governor Hans Raj Bhardwaj, who has been let down once too often by New Delhi, is unlikely to take any precipitate action against Chief Minister Yeddyurappa, even though, according to the Constitution, he has considerable powers once it comes to the Lokayukta, say highly-placed sources.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is holidaying in Mauritius issued a statement stating that he will complete his term as the CM.
In a strong indictment of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, state Lokayukta Justice Santosh N Hegde on Thursday said he has given 'substantive' and 'voluminous' evidence against him in the illegal mining scam which has cost the state exchequer Rs 1800 crore in a period of 14 months.
Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on Saturday charged the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka with "building a chain of corruption" and appointing commissions to "cover" it up and get "clean chits".
The special court, which is hearing the complaints filed by advocates Sirajin Bhasha and K N Balakrishna, has directed Kumar to file his objections by January 31 when the case comes up next for hearing.
The total investment from these projects will be Rs 1,38,300 crore.
The ministers met Governor Bharadwaj and told him that he should have at least had the courtesy to send the Chief Minister a copy of the order
A member of the chief minister's legal team told rediff.com that the petition, seeking a stay on the Governor's order, will be filed on Monday morning and could come up the same day, as there was urgency in the matter.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa charged Governor H R Bhardwaj of declining to furnish him a copy of his order granting sanction for his prosecution.
Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde on Monday described as "too premature" the clean chit given by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to the Reddy brothers facing charges of illegal mining.
The Congress on Sunday slammed the BJP government in Karnataka for "avoiding" a CBI probe into the illegal mining in the state, saying "the loot is brazen". Reacting to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's "clean chit" to Reddy brothers, who are ministers in the state government, in the illegal mining episode, Congress spokesperson Abishek Singhvi said.
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.
"I am firm on starting my agitation demanding CBI probe into the so-called 53-page charge sheet published by BJP against the Deve Gowda family. I set a one-week deadline to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to respond to my demand for ordering a probe. But the chief minister has surrendered to silence," he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government has adjourned the Karnataka legislative assembly sine die to wade off the opposition protests seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into illegal mining.
'Let anyone in Karnataka come forward and show that we have the licences to even a single square foot of land in the state,' challenges C V Nagesh, the Reddy brothers's lawyer.
Team Modi has been forced to rethink its 'Target Rahul' strategy.
The Karnataka legislative assembly is in disarray and the Opposition has refused to let proceedings begin until the chief minister orders a CBI probe into the illegal mining. Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa explains the issue.
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.
In an apparent move to quell dissidence in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday expanded his ministry by inducting rebel legislator M P Renukacharya into his cabinet.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa held a high level meeting on Monday morning amid reports of a specific threat that the four Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists on the loose in Mumbai are likely to target Bengaluru ahead of the New Year
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 Governor H R Bhardwaj on Wednesday said he has a list of corrupt people in the state and offered to furnish it to those interested. "I have given the list to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa also," Bhardwaj said. Bhardwaj's remarks came just a few days after he shot off two letters to Yeddyurappa seeking his response to land scam charges against him and on illegal mining allegedly involving three ministers -- G Janardhana Reddy, G Karunakara Reddy and B Sreeramulu.
If you were present at the 83rd Congress plenary in New Delhi on Sunday, you would have thought that there is nothing wrong with the UPA-2 government, the government is not responsible for any corruption scandal, B S Yeddyurappa is the only corrupt politician in the country, and the BJP and the RSS are responsible for all that ails the country.
Addressing the 83rd Congress plenary, party president Sonia Gandhi said that there can be no tolerance for corruption. She hit out at the Opposition for not taking action against its leaders involved in corruption.
The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka headed by B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday won a confidence vote in the assembly 119-0 amid a walkout by the Congress and Independents and a boycott by the Janata Dal - Secular. Law Minister S Suresh Kumar pressed for division of votes, as Congress members trooped out with Independents following suit. The JD-S had earlier announced its decision to boycott the ten-day session.
Admitting that the recent crisis in Karnataka following dissident activities has put the Bharatiya Janata Party 'to shame,' the party on Wednesday appeared to blame Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa for the turmoil, saying he needs to communicate better.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar on Monday quit the post, paving way for his induction into the ministry on Tuesday as part of a compromise formula evolved to end the recent dissidence against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
'I have been dropped all of a sudden and I don't even know what my fault is,' says Shobha Karandlaje, who was dropped from the Karnataka cabinet following the battle between Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and the Reddy brothers from Bellary.
Battling challenges and threats of being toppled, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, heading the first-ever Bharatiya Janata Party government in the south, is all set to complete three years in office on Monday.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday made no secret of his pain in accepting the resignation of his "protege" and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Shobha Karandlaje.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Saturday sobbed on television and confessed to "ditching" confidantes under pressure from dissident Reddy brothers, who were still holding out despite a reported compromise formula.
A last-ditch attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party high command to resolve the ongoing crisis in the Karnataka government appears to have failed, with the rebel state ministers -- Tourism Minister Janardhan Reddy, Revenue Minister Karunakar Reddy, Chairman of Karnataka Milk Federation Somashekhar Reddy and Health Minister B Sriramulu -- sticking to their demand for the removal of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Friday hinted at a compromise formula, under which he may have to axe some ministers and transfer some senior officials, to end the crisis. Yeddyurappa also ruled out any leadership change in the state. Under a reported compromise formula in the making, Rural Development Minister Shobha Karandlaje, considered close to the chief minister, may be axed. Assembly Speaker Jagdish Shettar may be inducted into the cabinet.
Karnataka Minister Shobha Karandlaje, whose scalp is being demanded by the dissidents gunning for Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's ouster, said on Thursday that she would resign "if the party asks for it".
Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party dissidents on Thursday rebuffed Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's efforts to reach out to them by refusing to meet him.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday said he would meet Governor H R Bhardwaj soon to request him to convene the session of the state assembly early in June. "I will meet the governor along with a few of my Cabinet colleagues to request him to allow us to start the assembly session," Yeddyurappa said in Delhi, before leaving for Bangalore.He said it was for the second time that the state Cabinet has recommended the session dates.
