Cricket may interrupt BJP match in Karnataka

Troubleshooter Arun Jaitley will be busy organising third ODI

Reason? Well, it is cricket. The unlikely interruption in the Karnataka drama will be the third one-dayer between India and Australia to be held at the Ferozshah Kotla grounds.

But why? Because Arun Jaitley, the BJP leader who is the general secretary in charge of the party affairs in the state, will be busy—at the grounds—on Saturday.

Jaitely, as president of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) is the chief organiser of the key 50:50 match. Although it is a day-night encounter, Jaitley is expected to be at the ground all through the day, and night.

The Rajya Sabha Opposition Leader, who arrived here late on Friday night, will also be part of the dignitaries on the dais for the award distribution ceremony after the match.

Mediation

So, the match within the Karnataka BJP will hot up only on Sunday onwards as Jaitely will resume his mediation efforts between the two warring groups, one led by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and the other by the Bellary Reddy brothers.

The Reddy brothers and Assembly Speaker Jagdish Shettar are likely to reach here on Saturday.
There was no confirmation yet when the chief minister would be landing. All these players in the drama have been summoned by the BJP high command, which itself has not come out of the shock after the 0-3 drubbing in the other contest—of three Assembly elections held recently.

BJP disintegrating, says Congress

The Congress on Friday said that the BJP was “a divided house” and suffering from an “identity crisis”, reports DHNS from New Delhi.

“The BJP is a divided house. It is suffering from an identity crisis,” the Congress spokesperson and the Rajya Sabha member Jayanthi Natarajan told a news-conference at the party headquarters. She, however, dodged a question if the Congress had any plan to intervene in Karnataka and if it would take advantage of the situation and try to form an alternative Government in the State.

“We would only like to add that the country is watching in dismay as the main opposition party is disintegrating,” said Natarajan.