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Clan Reddy making Yeddy steady

The sword has now turned into the shield
Last Updated 07 October 2010, 17:50 IST

Janardhana Reddy, Karunakara Reddy and B Sriramulu, who have emerged as the chief minister’s new praetorian guard are the same three men who have been perceived to be the major threat to his government on many occasions in the past, and even as recently as a month ago when he reshuffled his Cabinet.

Flush with mining money, the ministers from Bellary have stepped in to bail out the party Government, which has been reduced into a minority with 19 MLAs, including 13 BJP legislators withdrawing support.

The mining magnates, facing court cases of illegal mining, want the BJP Government to continue, it is learnt.

In the last 24 hours, after the rebel MLAs made their moves, the Reddy-Sriramulu duo have managed to redeem three (till evening of Thursday) of the legislators - Doddana Gowda Patil, S K Bellubbi and Raju Gowda. Janardhana Reddy paraded Bellubbi and Raju Gowda before the media and exuded confidence that all will soon fall in line. Patil returned to the fold on Wednesday.

‘We’ll win majority’

“We will ensure that Congress’ Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) hang their heads in shame on October 11. All our MLAs who are misled by the Congress and the JD(S), will come back.

First the rebels strength was 20. It was reduced 19 in no time. Today it has come down to 19 and the strength will go on decreasing gradually and we will win the majority on the floor of the House,” Reddy told reporters.

The Bellary ministers had played a key role in forming the the BJP Government in 2008, after Assembly elections in 2008.

They mustered the support of six independent MLAs, enabling Yeddyurappa to go ahead with the Government formation.

Subsequently, they poached many Opposition MLAs as part of Operation Kamala to stabilise the government. With the Reddys entering the scene, the State BJP leaders are seeing some hopes of the Government’s survival. “Paarijatha”, Janardhan Reddy’s apartment near Basaveshwara Circle, was the centre of all activities on Thursday.

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(Published 07 October 2010, 17:50 IST)

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