Yeddyurappa loyalist ministers in wordy duel

Housing Minister V Somanna and Co-operation Minister B J Puttaswamy on Monday indulged in an argument in front of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and senior officials of the government.

In front of  the officials, the two ministers exchanged loud words, expressing their loyalty to former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa who has made  plans to quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and launch his own party.

The ministers began the argument when the meeting of deputy commissioners, chief executive officers of zilla panchayat and heads of all departments, convened by the chief minister at the Vidhana Soudha, was about to commence.

The fissure has surfaced on the eve of a meeting convened by Yeddyurappa at his Dollars’ Colony residence to discuss his plans with his loyal followers.

When Puttaswamy, casually alleged that Somanna has been avoiding Yeddyurappa of late, a visibly irked Somanna retorted that Puttaswamy had frequently spread baseless allegations against him.

“It was I who introduced you to Yeddyurappa. You were nothing at that time,” Somanna said. In the midst of this tirade, Shettar and the officials remained mute spectators.

When Puttaswamy was about to retort, Law Minister S Suresh Kumar, seated between the two men, intervened.

According to sources, Somanna, who is known for party hopping, is reluctant to join Yeddyurappa’s party.  He has been eager to return to the Congress which he quit three years ago to join the BJP, sources said.