11-09-2009, 02:35 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Reddy-made crisis in Karnataka blows over</b>
pioneer.com
Kumar Uttam | New Delhi
Leaders promise to work for development of State
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and his rivals smoked peace pipe in front of party veteran LK Advani, who turned 83 on Sunday. Presenting a perfect birthday gift to Advani, th<b>e BJP leadership brought in the two warring factions together and managed to provide stability to the two-year-old State Government. </b>
âThey (Yeddyurappa and Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy) have come to seek the blessings of LK Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh. They are going back to Karnataka and would continue to serve the people of the State. This (resolution of the crisis) was like a birthday gift to Advani,â senior leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters, as the Chief Minister and his rivals offered sweets to each other in front of the party veteran.
The Chief Minister said with the help of national leadership, including Advani and party president Rajnath Singh, the problems have been resolved and âwe will not allow such a problem to arise againâ. Janardhana Reddy, who had refused to meet the Chief Minister, said, âWe will work together for the betterment of the State.â
The BJP âapologisedâ to the flood victims of Karnataka for getting into a dispute (over leadership) when the Government should have been concentrating on the relief work.
<b>Before calling on Advani, Yeddyurappa and Reddy had a one-on-one meeting at Sushmaâs residence â the first time after the face off â to settle the issues and work out a formula to ensure the smooth functioning of the State Government.</b>
While Yeddyurappa denied there was any compromise formula, a claim reiterated by the Tourism Minister, BJP sources reveled to The Pioneer that a co-ordination committee could be constituted under Sushma to ensure there is no problem in future.
<b>Party general secretary Ananth Kumar, who hails from Bangalore, the Tourism Minister and his brother Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy and a couple of other leaders would also be in the committee.</b>
It is learnt that Yeddyurappa has refused to undertake a major reshuffle in the Cabinet, as demanded by the rebels, but agreed to drop his loyalist and Panchayati Raj Minister Shobha Karandlaje. <b>Rebels had also sought the removal of Home Minister VS Acharya, a RSS favourite, and a couple of more Ministers. Under pressure from Reddy brothers, the Chief Minister had already shifted his Principal Secretary VP Baligar to another department.</b>
Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar, who was successfully weaned away from the rebel camp by senior party leaders in New Delhi, would be inducted into the Cabinet and could be given a key portfolio like Finance, which is being looked after by the Chief Minister himself. There is no proposal to give him the status of Deputy Chief Minister, an idea mooted by some senior party leaders in the initial days of the crisis.
<b>The rebels had propped up Shettar as their choice for the chief ministershi</b>p, but the latter refused to come in between the Reddy brothers and Yeddyurappa after BJPâs top brass succeeded in persuading him to back out after accepting a Cabinet berth.
Party sources confirmed that the Chief Minister might carry out some changes with regard to Ministers in-charge of districts and give weightage to Reddy brothersâ suggestions in transfer and postings in their region.
<b>Some of the officers who were shifted out of Bellary â the citadel of Reddy brothers in the last couple of months without any consultation with the rebel Ministers â could be reinstated.</b>
Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa has planed to tour across the flood-affected regions of the State from Monday. Besides, an executive meeting has been planned to discuss the issues in which senior leaders Arun Jaitley, Swaraj and Ananth Kumar have been invited.
âI have forgiven everyone, including the MLAs (who raised a banner of revolt against me). Let us all work together to build a new Karnataka,â Yeddyurappa told reporters at Karnataka Bhavan here, adding that in politics, a leader has to have patience and a heart to forgive others.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
pioneer.com
Kumar Uttam | New Delhi
Leaders promise to work for development of State
Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and his rivals smoked peace pipe in front of party veteran LK Advani, who turned 83 on Sunday. Presenting a perfect birthday gift to Advani, th<b>e BJP leadership brought in the two warring factions together and managed to provide stability to the two-year-old State Government. </b>
âThey (Yeddyurappa and Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy) have come to seek the blessings of LK Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh. They are going back to Karnataka and would continue to serve the people of the State. This (resolution of the crisis) was like a birthday gift to Advani,â senior leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters, as the Chief Minister and his rivals offered sweets to each other in front of the party veteran.
The Chief Minister said with the help of national leadership, including Advani and party president Rajnath Singh, the problems have been resolved and âwe will not allow such a problem to arise againâ. Janardhana Reddy, who had refused to meet the Chief Minister, said, âWe will work together for the betterment of the State.â
The BJP âapologisedâ to the flood victims of Karnataka for getting into a dispute (over leadership) when the Government should have been concentrating on the relief work.
<b>Before calling on Advani, Yeddyurappa and Reddy had a one-on-one meeting at Sushmaâs residence â the first time after the face off â to settle the issues and work out a formula to ensure the smooth functioning of the State Government.</b>
While Yeddyurappa denied there was any compromise formula, a claim reiterated by the Tourism Minister, BJP sources reveled to The Pioneer that a co-ordination committee could be constituted under Sushma to ensure there is no problem in future.
<b>Party general secretary Ananth Kumar, who hails from Bangalore, the Tourism Minister and his brother Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy and a couple of other leaders would also be in the committee.</b>
It is learnt that Yeddyurappa has refused to undertake a major reshuffle in the Cabinet, as demanded by the rebels, but agreed to drop his loyalist and Panchayati Raj Minister Shobha Karandlaje. <b>Rebels had also sought the removal of Home Minister VS Acharya, a RSS favourite, and a couple of more Ministers. Under pressure from Reddy brothers, the Chief Minister had already shifted his Principal Secretary VP Baligar to another department.</b>
Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar, who was successfully weaned away from the rebel camp by senior party leaders in New Delhi, would be inducted into the Cabinet and could be given a key portfolio like Finance, which is being looked after by the Chief Minister himself. There is no proposal to give him the status of Deputy Chief Minister, an idea mooted by some senior party leaders in the initial days of the crisis.
<b>The rebels had propped up Shettar as their choice for the chief ministershi</b>p, but the latter refused to come in between the Reddy brothers and Yeddyurappa after BJPâs top brass succeeded in persuading him to back out after accepting a Cabinet berth.
Party sources confirmed that the Chief Minister might carry out some changes with regard to Ministers in-charge of districts and give weightage to Reddy brothersâ suggestions in transfer and postings in their region.
<b>Some of the officers who were shifted out of Bellary â the citadel of Reddy brothers in the last couple of months without any consultation with the rebel Ministers â could be reinstated.</b>
Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa has planed to tour across the flood-affected regions of the State from Monday. Besides, an executive meeting has been planned to discuss the issues in which senior leaders Arun Jaitley, Swaraj and Ananth Kumar have been invited.
âI have forgiven everyone, including the MLAs (who raised a banner of revolt against me). Let us all work together to build a new Karnataka,â Yeddyurappa told reporters at Karnataka Bhavan here, adding that in politics, a leader has to have patience and a heart to forgive others.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->