Guess where KJP leader B S Yeddyurappa chose to meet his supporters at Suvarna Soudha on Friday? In one of the rooms of the Speaker K G Bopaiah in the Assembly!
The way in which Yeddyurappa walked into the Soudha and held meetings with his supporters gave an impression that he still holds some important position in the ruling party.
After giving interviews to several TV news channels at Central Hall, he along with a large entourage of supporters, walked into Room No 134 in the Assembly, much to the surprise of the officials of Assembly secretariat and held an informal meeting with his supporters in the room.
Besides some ministers and legislators, KJP Vice President K H Srinivas and General Secretary M D Lakshminarayan, MLC, were present in the meeting.
Speaker Bopaiah was not present in the room when Yeddyurappa entered it. Bopaiah had been holding a meeting with the floor leaders in his personal chamber on the issue of conducting the House. The KJP leader also met some BJP MLAs and tried to persuade them to join his party.
Room No 134 was an ideal location for the KJP leader to hold the meeting as it was close to the House.
Breaking rules
As per the rule book, however, meetings related to political parties should not be conducted in any of the rooms of the Speaker. Moreover, the Speaker’s permission is necessary before any activity can be conducted in his office.
It was Yeddyurappa’s first visit to Suvarna Soudha after his recent resignation as an MLA.
Ministers Murugesh Nirani, M P Renukacharya, Umesh Katti, B J Puttaswamy and Shobha Karandlaje were present in the meeting.
As many as 30 BJP legislators, including eight Cabinet ministers, and over a dozen MLCs had breakfast with him in the morning.
When contacted, Bopaiah said Shobha Karandlaje informed him that Yeddyurappa was bit tired and just had tea in the room.
Concern for Cauvery
The former BJP leader not just met his followers, he also suggested the floor leaders of the Assembly to adjourn the session for two days, and all the 224 MLAs meet the Prime Minister on the Cauvery issue.
If necessary, the MLAs should stage a dharna in Delhi, he is learnt to have told the meeting of floor leaders convened by the Speaker to end the deadlock over the Cauvery issue in the Assembly.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, he strongly criticised Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and Union ministers from the State for not making any effort to protect the interests of the State.
“There is no point in conducting the legislature session when such an injustice is being done to the State. The chief minister should have taken all MLAs to Delhi and staged a protest,” he stated.
He also said he will stage a dharna in Delhi after the Haveri rally on December 9.