Dream he nursed close to reality

Legislator, who led the dissident MLAs, may be inducted into Cabinet on Thursday

Renukacharya told the media on Sunday that Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had given the “green Signal” for his elevation to the Cabinet. But neither Yeddyurappa nor any spokesperson of the party confirmed the rebel MLAs’ announcement.

The dissident camp, which has nearly two dozen MLAs, is still cut up with the CM because they wanted at least five of them to be made ministers. But the CM was not agreeable. There is only vacancy in the Cabinet. And the4 CM would have to ask some ministers to hand in their resignations for accommodating the rebels. That was a decision the Chief Minister was not willing to make.

The dissidents stepped up their activities from Saturday as they knew well that it was easy to get their demands fulfilled before the Legislature session resumes on Monday.  

Tension eased to certain extent following Sunday’s developments. The CM, BJP leaders Ananthkumar, Venkaiah Naidu, Renukacharya and Belur Gopalakrishna along with a host of other MLAs and MPs held several rounds of talks from 9 am to 8 pm in the capital.

The CM, it is said, has reportedly promised that 4 or 5 MLAs from the dissident camp would be appointed as chairpersons of the statutory boards and corporations soon. There were speculation that former minister S K Bellubbi too would be inducted into the Cabinet in January.

Sources in the party said the CM as well as the party central leadership is not against reshuffling of the Cabinet at this point of time. However, the CM has assured the dissidents that he would undertake the reshuffle to accommodate four to five MLAs after presenting the budget in March.

“If the CM yields to pressure and reshuffle the Cabinet, then more MLAs may demand that they too should be made Ministers. So Yeddyurappa and the party central leadership are not taking any risk”, a Minister said.

The camp headed by Renukacharya was first controlled by the Bellary Reddys. But after Jagadish Shettar became Minister, the Reddys disassociated themselves from the rebels. Later, Renukacharya assumed the leadership of the rebellion group.

Yeddyurappa, while yielding to the pressure, said “any of them could occupy the berth”. A section of the MLAs, who were loyal to Renukacharya, are now unhappy with their ‘leader’ as he accepted the CM’s offer.

Soon after the temporary truce was drawn, the CM and Renukacharya visited Suttur Mutt to take the blessings of Shivaratri Deshikendraswamiji.

For the media consumption, after the whole day’s drama, the BJP leaders repeated their stock claim that there was no dissidence in the BJP and that the party was a united house.