New Delhi/Bangalore:
The budget session of the Karnataka Assembly began today to many empty spaces in the treasury benches. Almost 70 of the ruling BJP's 120 MLAs have boycotted the first day of the session and are camping at a luxury resort. These MLAs want BS Yeddyurappa to be re-instated as chief minister of Karnataka.
Karnataka strongman Yeddyurappa is staging a revolt demanding that he be made CM again. He is at a five-star resort outside Bangalore with 67 MLAs, including ministers, loyal to him. A 48-hour deadline that he issued to the party leadership ends today. Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said today that only a token two ministers and two MLAs would attend House proceedings today, the rest would boycott it.
The rebels have, however, agreed to allow Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda's government to present the state's Budget tomorrow.
Last evening, Mr Bommai had said that the MLAs had sent a letter asking for a legislature party session to be convened. The camp is a clear message from Mr Yeddyurappa that unless he is reinstated as Chief Minister, the BJP could see a split in its Karnataka branch.
Ten MPs from the BJP have also threatened to resign in support of Mr Yeddyurappa."Central leaders are in touch with Yeddyurappa but many busy with Rajya Sabha elections. We are confident...We will participate in the budget session," he said.
Mr Yeddyurappa was forced to quit office in July last year after a report on illegal mining indicted him for corruption. Last week, the Karnataka High Court dismissed those charges. Mr Yeddyurappa says that's ground enough for his return to power. His demand for re-instatement is emboldened by the support he has got from more than half of the BJP's MLAs.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari has made it clear that while the party is considering Mr Yeddyurappa's aggressive demand, it "will not take any decision under pressure." The party president also had a strong word of advice for Mr Yeddyurappa - "Be patient and don't malign the party."
"We are a democratic party but we do not take decisions under pressure. We will come to the right decision and I would advise Mr Yeddyurappa to be patient and not do anything to malign the party," he said yesterday after Mr Yeddyurappa allegedly rejected an offer to fly to Nagpur to meet for peace talks.
The BJP's problems in Karnataka are compounded by the fact that the five strong Lingayat 'muths' which hold immense clout over the powerful Lingayat community, that backed the BJP to come to power for the first time in a southern state, too want a change, claiming that the present Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda is alienating them. This is why Mr Gadkari, who had ruled out a change in leadership in Karnataka since July 2011 when Mr Yeddyurappa faced charges in a Lokayukta report forcing him to step down, is now saying that a change is under consideration. Mr Yeddyurappa is a Lingayat leader.
Mr Gadkari can ill-afford Karnataka trouble at this point. He has on his hands strong protests from his senior most leaders, including L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi, over the party's choice of candidates in the crucial Rajya Sabha elections to be held in April. Sources have told NDTV that reservations were made known to Mr Gadkari at the party's parliamentary board meeting on March 16.
While Mr Advani and other leaders are said to have registered strong protests, Yashwant Sinha, a former Finance Minister, also had some strong words for the recent nominations. He reportedly said that it would be difficult for him to execute his duties in Parliament if tainted candidates from outside the party were supported by the BJP to contest Rajya Sabha seats.
Mr Sinha is particularly upset with the BJP's support to Anshuman Mishra, an independent candidate from Jharkhand.
Sources say that these choices, especially that of Mr Mishra, were backed by Mr Gadkari. There is more resentment over the denial of a ticket to veteran leader, and BJP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, S S Ahluwalia.
While some top leaders want the controversial nominations to be withdrawn - others argue that a withdrawal will mean the party losing seats.
The double trouble for Mr Gadkari comes just when the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was considering a second term for him as party president.
(With PTI inputs)
Karnataka strongman Yeddyurappa is staging a revolt demanding that he be made CM again. He is at a five-star resort outside Bangalore with 67 MLAs, including ministers, loyal to him. A 48-hour deadline that he issued to the party leadership ends today. Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai said today that only a token two ministers and two MLAs would attend House proceedings today, the rest would boycott it.
The rebels have, however, agreed to allow Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda's government to present the state's Budget tomorrow.
Last evening, Mr Bommai had said that the MLAs had sent a letter asking for a legislature party session to be convened. The camp is a clear message from Mr Yeddyurappa that unless he is reinstated as Chief Minister, the BJP could see a split in its Karnataka branch.
Ten MPs from the BJP have also threatened to resign in support of Mr Yeddyurappa."Central leaders are in touch with Yeddyurappa but many busy with Rajya Sabha elections. We are confident...We will participate in the budget session," he said.
Mr Yeddyurappa was forced to quit office in July last year after a report on illegal mining indicted him for corruption. Last week, the Karnataka High Court dismissed those charges. Mr Yeddyurappa says that's ground enough for his return to power. His demand for re-instatement is emboldened by the support he has got from more than half of the BJP's MLAs.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari has made it clear that while the party is considering Mr Yeddyurappa's aggressive demand, it "will not take any decision under pressure." The party president also had a strong word of advice for Mr Yeddyurappa - "Be patient and don't malign the party."
"We are a democratic party but we do not take decisions under pressure. We will come to the right decision and I would advise Mr Yeddyurappa to be patient and not do anything to malign the party," he said yesterday after Mr Yeddyurappa allegedly rejected an offer to fly to Nagpur to meet for peace talks.
The BJP's problems in Karnataka are compounded by the fact that the five strong Lingayat 'muths' which hold immense clout over the powerful Lingayat community, that backed the BJP to come to power for the first time in a southern state, too want a change, claiming that the present Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda is alienating them. This is why Mr Gadkari, who had ruled out a change in leadership in Karnataka since July 2011 when Mr Yeddyurappa faced charges in a Lokayukta report forcing him to step down, is now saying that a change is under consideration. Mr Yeddyurappa is a Lingayat leader.
Mr Gadkari can ill-afford Karnataka trouble at this point. He has on his hands strong protests from his senior most leaders, including L K Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Murli Manohar Joshi, over the party's choice of candidates in the crucial Rajya Sabha elections to be held in April. Sources have told NDTV that reservations were made known to Mr Gadkari at the party's parliamentary board meeting on March 16.
While Mr Advani and other leaders are said to have registered strong protests, Yashwant Sinha, a former Finance Minister, also had some strong words for the recent nominations. He reportedly said that it would be difficult for him to execute his duties in Parliament if tainted candidates from outside the party were supported by the BJP to contest Rajya Sabha seats.
Mr Sinha is particularly upset with the BJP's support to Anshuman Mishra, an independent candidate from Jharkhand.
Sources say that these choices, especially that of Mr Mishra, were backed by Mr Gadkari. There is more resentment over the denial of a ticket to veteran leader, and BJP's deputy leader in Rajya Sabha, S S Ahluwalia.
While some top leaders want the controversial nominations to be withdrawn - others argue that a withdrawal will mean the party losing seats.
The double trouble for Mr Gadkari comes just when the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was considering a second term for him as party president.
(With PTI inputs)
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