BJP fails to submit plaint on Arkavathi to Governor

The BJP’s plan to file a complaint through an advocate associated with its legal cell before Governor Vajubhai Vala seeking sanction for prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah did not materialise on Friday with Raj Bhavan declining to give an appointment.

Advocate Nataraj Sharma was supposed to submit the complaint  prepared with the help of the State BJP legal cell and other legal experts to Vala. The complaint accuses Siddaramaiah of irregularities in denotifying land in Arkavathi Layout. Much hype was created about this but it turned out to be a damp squib.

While Sharma is supposed to have faxed a letter seeking the appointment, Raj Bhavan declined the same as it was Vala’s birthday on Friday. Raj Bhavan sources said the Governor was preoccupied with his personal guests and visitors from Gujarat. Sharma is likely to seek an appointment on Saturday. There were also rumours that the BJP legal cell had backed out as its complaint was flawed, incomplete and would not stand legal scrutiny.

The anti-climax has embarrassed the BJP as it had announced on Thursday the complaint would be filed the next day. Reporters had assembled outside the Raj Bhavan  since morning to cover the development. As hours passed, there was no sign of the complainant. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, some ministers and BJP leaders met Vala separately and greeted him on his birthday. But no politics or Arkavathi-related issue were discussed by the visitors.