News Analysis India

Tag: Yeddyurappa

  • Amid rumours over Karnataka leadership change, Yeddyurappa Cabinet unlikely to see major changes

    By Express News Service
    KALABURAGI: There would be no threat to the 17 ministers in the Yeddyurappa’s cabinet (who have switched off their loyalty from Congress /JD -S) of losing their cabinet berth even if a change in leadership takes place, said minister for mines and geology who is also Kalaburagi district in-charge minister here on Saturday.

    Speaking with presspersons here, Nirani pleaded his ignorance on the thick rumours over the change of leadership in the legislator party. Nirani said that he has read about it in newspapers only and nobody in the party including the chief minister has spoken about the change of guard with him. But as far as his knowledge goes, the 17 ministers who supported BJP in coming to power will continue in power.

    When asked whether he too was a sapient for the post of the chief minister, Nirani said that all the 120 MLAs are the aspirants for the CM’s post. Nirani said he has never lobbied for the minister’s post, the party high command and chief minister selected him for the minister’s post. Now also he is not lobbying for the chief minister’s post, he clarified.  

    To a question on many of the ministers leaving the state capital during the thick rumours of change of guard in the State, Nirani said that to him and to others also, the welfare of people is supreme than the politics, most of the districts were facing the threat of flood and the districts are receiving heavy rains. As the district in-charge minister, it is his duty to visit the district and guide the officials about taking rescue measures, for doing that duty he has come to the district, Nirani said.

    The district in-charge minister said that after the rainwater recedes from the field, the officials of the agriculture department would make a crop loss survey. On shifting the villagers to the rehabilitation centres, Nirani said that when the State experienced heavy rains and floods in the year 2008, many houses were built to rehabilitate the people who faced flood problems frequently. But not even 10 per cent of the houses constructed were occupied.

    A survey would be conducted on why the beneficiaries have not occupied those houses and later it would be decided to ask the original beneficiaries to occupy the allotted houses immediately or to allot them to other beneficiaries, Nirani said.

  • Ramanagara by-poll: BJP candidate against CM’s wife pulls out, returns to Cong

    In a major embarrassment for the BJP, two days before the Ramanagara assembly by-poll, its candidate against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s wife quit the contest on Thursday and return to the Congress.

    With BJP’s L Chandrashekhar withdrawing his candidature for the November 3 polls, Kumaraswamy’s wife Anita Kumaraswamy, is expected to have a smooth sail facing a virtual no-contest.

    Announcing his decision to return to his “mother party,” the Congress, Chandrashekhar accused BJP and its leaders of “abandoning” him after giving him the ticket.

    “After welcoming me to the BJP by giving party flag, Yeddyurappa (state BJP chief) or any other leaders did not join me for campaigning.  They neglected Ramanagara due to internal squabble between the leaders within the party,” he told reporters.

    Alleging Yeddyurappa did not even answer his phone calls, Chandrashekhar said, he was worried about his political future in the BJP and hence decided to withdraw from the poll fray.

    “Saddened about the attitude of leaders and system that exists within the BJP, I have decided not to have any association with the party, I’m returning to my mother party Congress,” he said, with Bengaluru rural Congress MP D K Suresh seated next to him.

    Chandrashekhar, son of a senior Congress leader C M Lingappa, had joined BJP as the Congress decided to support the candidate of its ruling coalition partner, JD(S).

    Within days after joining the BJP, he was announced as the party’s candidate.

    “By remaining in the Congress party, I will extend my support to the coalition candidate…” Chandrashekar said.

    This development just ahead of polls is being seen as senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh’s response to the BJP’s alleged attempts to weaken the coalition government by trying to “poach” Congress MLAs.

    Reacting to the development, Yeddyurappa alleged that Chandrashekhar has been brought for money by Shivakumar.

    “Shivakumar and brother (D K Suresh) have brought (him) back, by giving money. I got the information just now. God bless them,” he told reporters in Shivamogga.

    By-election to Ramanagara was necessitated as it fell vacant after Kumaraswamy gave up the seat preferring Chennapatna, the other seat he had won in the May assembly polls.

    By-polls for three Lok Sabha constituencies- Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya and two assembly constituencies, Ramanagara and Jamkhandi, will take place on November 3.

    The counting of votes would be on November 6.