Venkaiah rushing
The ballooning political crisis in Karnataka has forced the BJP central leadership to despatch M Venkaiah Naidu, senior Rajya Sabha member from the State, and the main troubleshooter, to Bangalore on Thursday to rescue the beleaguered Yeddyurappa government.
“Janardhan Reddy spoke to me after his return from Chennai and he is confident that the party would tide over the crisis,” Naidu told Deccan Herald as he emerged from a meeting with senior leader L K Advani and party president Nitin Gadkari.
“That is the input the state leaders have given me,” Naidu said when asked whether the crisis would be defused.
He said some of the legislators had been put up in hotels in Chennai and Kochi and claimed that “local Congress leaders” were seen with them. “Why should they be there if the Congress has no role (in the crisis),” he asked.
According to him, some dissident BJP MLAs were apprehensive that they may not be re-nominated for next election and they want “some comfort level” on that count before they considered returning to the party fold. Wiser after the event, the BJP has put their MLAs under constant surveillance.
According to sources, immediately on his arrival from Delhi, Naidu, along with Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy, will fly to Kochi by a chartered flight to hold parleys with the some of the rebel leaders staying in a resort some 60 km from Kochi.
The sources said if necessary, they would also request the chief minister to talk to the dissidents as Yeddyurappa would be in Kerala to offer prayers at a temple on Thursday.
