End of the road for BSY?

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The day Karnataka has been waiting for with bated breath is finally here. The Supreme Court constituted Central Empowered Committee (CEC) will on Friday, submit its report on the alleged favours doled out by former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to mining companies in return for monetary benefits to institutions run by his kin. If the CEC recommends a CBI probe into the charges made by NGO, Samaj Parivarthan Samudaya, it could spell curtains for BSY and his efforts to stage a comeback.

The BJP top brass has been anxiously waiting for the report before taking a decision on the leadership crisis in Karnataka which has badly hit the party’s image. With the state unit vertically split between the Yeddyurappa and Sadananda Gowda factions, central leaders are keen to settle the issue in the run up to Assembly polls, little over a year away.

Split shows, Shobha skips meeting
The rivalry in the BJP had its impact on the all-party meeting held on Thursday with energy minister Shobha Karandlaje—a close associate of former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa— absent during the morning session. Ms Karandlaje was reportedly miffed because she did not get a formal invite to the meeting. Following in the footsteps of the minister, energy department officials also abstained form the session.

A shaken Mr Gowda had to convene an emergent Cabinet sub-committee meeting to which Ms Karandlaje was invited along with other ministers to discuss power related issues. This meeting was attended by the minister and officials from the energy department. Sources in the chief minister’s secretariat said that notices of the meeting were sent to all ministers who are concerned with the drought including those handling agriculture, water resources, energy and rural development. The notice did not reach Ms Karandlaje’s office for some reason.

When the all-party meeting began at 11 am, barring the Mescom managing director, no energy department official was present. Mescom received the invite as Mangalore is the main entry point for power supply to the state, sources said. The goof-up came to light when some Opposition members complained that power supply was irregular in rural areas. With no representative of the energy department present, Mr Sadananda Gowda issued an emergency notice, convening the Cabinet sub-committee meeting.