Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has been accused of "interference", "serious lapses and authoritarian ways" by one of his own ministers, KS Eshwarappa, who has reported his boss to the Governor and the BJP leadership.
Mr Eshwarappa, Karnataka's Rural Development Minister, has written to Governor Vajubhai Vala accusing the Chief Minister of direct interference in his ministry in violation of the "Karnataka (transaction of business) rules 1977" on the division of power in the cabinet.
The letter has been copied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda.
The minister has accused Mr Yediyurappa of bypassing him to make allocations worth Rs 774 crore from his department.
Giving instances, he says the Chief Minister ordered Rs 65 crore from his ministry's budget for one district in Bengaluru, neglecting 29 others.
"It is highly unfortunate that the Chief Minister knowingly issued such orders, ignoring the minister in charge of the department. If the trend continues...I do not know where I stand as minister," Mr Eshwarappa writes.
The minister says he had registered his strong objections to the Chief Minister "through a letter highlighting the indiscriminate sanction of funds to various MLAs/persons in violation of rules, but it is of no avail".
The complaint once again highlights resentment against Mr Yediyurappa within his cabinet and the party.
Mr Eshwarappa and the Chief Minister, both from Shivamogga, were once close. That changed when Mr Yediyurappa expanded his cabinet to include new ministers who helped him take power in 2019 by defecting from the Congress-Janata Dal Secular government, causing its collapse.
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