Get back to work, rebels told

Top BJP sources clarified the rebels had not been served with any ultimatum, as reported by a section of the media. They said dissident leader and Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy was asked to convince his band of MLAs to return to the respective constituencies from Hyderabad as the CM had replaced principal secretary V P Baligar with I S N Prasad and indicated that Rural Development Minister Shobha Karandlaje would be dropped. These were among the demands made by Yeddyurappa’s detractors.
During the meetings on Thursday, the chief minister was said to have told the central leaders that the Reddys should respond to the actions taken by him by asking the MLAs lodged in hotels in Hyderabad to return. As many as 52 MLAs, believed to be owing allegiance to the Reddys, continue to be in that city.

Fingers crossed

While Yeddyurappa, speaking to reporters holding up a ‘V’ sign, exuded confidence that the impasse will end by Saturday, the high command, however, was keeping its fingers crossed on what Reddy would do next.

On reaching Hyderabad Friday evening, Reddy continued his diatribe against the Chief Minister, though he expressed the hope that “something good will emerge” in the next two or three days over the leadership issue.  He added the State BJP government would survive its five-year term.
Reddy, who said he reached Hyderabad to meet the MLAs who support him, has been asked by some of the central leaders to return here by Saturday evening. Yeddyurappa, who earlier said he would leave for Bangalore on Friday, said he had been directed by the central leadership to stay put here so he was available for further negotiations.

On yet another day of hectic political activity, Reddy met senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and M Venkaiah Naidu, saying: “We are all BJP MLAs and I am sure a good solution will be found to the problem”.  The Chief Minister met veteran leader L K Advani, party chief Rajnath Singh and others like Ananth Kumar, Arun Jaitley, Swaraj and Naidu. A few BJP leaders advocated strong and exemplary punishment against the rebels but sources close to top party leaders ruled out such action as this would almost mean an end to the first BJP government in South India.

During the meeting a distraught Yeddyurappa requested the leaders to permit him to resign now or after the budget next year. 

But in a significant statement after the meeting, which made it clear again Yeddyurappa will not be replaced as chief minister, Naidu said: “It is true there are some problems but we will resolve them soon. There is no question of going for elections as the people of Karnataka have given a clear mandate to the BJP and to the leadership of Yeddyurappa. We will deliver as per people’s expectations. The party prestige and interest is more important”. 

He added the party central leadership was “confident” of resolving the issues and that “positive conclusion” will emerge since meetings took place with both camps.
Earlier in the morning, Yeddyurappa said he was ready to accept some of the demands of the dissident Reddy brothers, but asserted he had been assured by the leadership that he would continue in his post.

I S N Prasad replaces Baligar

Desperately seeking to end the prolonged political crisis, CM Yeddyurappa sent out a message that he is ready to yield to the dissident’s demands by ‘sacrificing’ his trusted officer and Principal Secretary V P Baligar, reports DHNS from Bangalore.