A belligerent former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa took his successor D V Sadananda Gowda and state BJP president K S Eshwarappa to task on certain controversial issues, forcing the core committee to put off decisions on expansion of the cabinet and disciplinary action against truant legislators for cross-voting in elections to the Legislative Council.
Sources in the state unit told Deccan Chronicle that Mr Yeddyurappa reportedly gave both the leaders an earful as he was miffed with their recent statements. First, it was Mr Gowda’s assertion that he was elected Chief Minister because of support from the community, made at the felicitation of Balagangadharanath swami of Adichunchanagiri math. The former chief minister also took exception to the delay in filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court on alleged involvement of three former chief ministers—S M Krishna, N Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy—in illegal mining.
The leader reportedly threw a spanner in the works, saying the new members could be inducted into the cabinet after the inauspicious month of Aashada (July). Instead, he demanded that Mr Gowda axe ministers responsible for cross-voting, or issue show-cause notices to all those who voted for candidates of other parties.
The sources said it was Mr Eshwarappa’s turn next for speaking out against the use of money in elections to the Legislative Assembly in 2008, and launch of ‘Operation Kamala’ in order to maintain stability of the government. He was also unhappy that neither Mr Gowda nor Mr Eshwarappa had initiated disciplinary action a dozen legislators for voting in favour of candidates of other parties, and stated that mere announcements that they would not be given tickets in next year’s polls to the Legislative Assembly would not suffice.
In view of Mr Yeddyurappa’s outbursts, the meeting ended without a consensus of induction of new ministers or disciplinary action against legislators. The sources said the members, however, managed to discuss other issues including the faith reposed by voters in the party in the recent polls to the Legislative Council. The core committee met in the wake of demand by loyalists like C T Ravi and Appachu Ranjan that Mr Gowda keep his word on expansion of the cabinet by June 16. In case a decision on swearing-in of new ministers was not taken by this weekend, the legislators had threatened to take thematter to senior central leaders in New Delhi. They are peeved with Mr Gowda for holding on to 20 portfolios,