Rift surfaces in BSY camp

[1]

Sources said a `who is more loyal to BSY' contest and mutual suspicions among his followers about each other's political ambitions had divided the camp.

A deep divide in former chief minister B.S.Yeddyurappa’s camp surfaced on the eve of a crucial luncheon meeting called by the leader to discuss his future moves, including the launch of Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) with die-hard supporters, when two ministers sparred in the presence of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, top bureaucrats and media persons in Vidhana Soudha on Monday.

As Mr Shettar and others watched in disbelief, housing minister V.Somanna and cooperation minister B.J. Puttaswamy got into an argument. It was Mr Puttaswamy’s taunt that Mr Somanna had not bothered to visit Mr Yeddyurappa’s house despite several reminders that triggered the spat.

Sources in the state unit of BJP said a similar fight broke out the former chief minister and industries minister Murugesh Rudrappa Nirani recently, but was hushed up by the leader's supporters.

Such incidents have raised questions on whether all ministers identified as supporters of the former chief minister would quit the BJP and join the new outfit scheduled to be launched on December 10 at Haveri. Former minister Gali Janardhan Reddy seems to be averse to the idea of his lieutenant and former minister B. Sreeramulu forging an alliance between BSR Congress party and Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) scheduled to be launched by former CM B.S.Yeddyurappa in Haveri on December 10.

Besides, Mr Reddy hauled up his elder brother Gali Somashekhar Reddy for praising Mr Yeddyurappa during a function held in Koppal last month.

Sources in BSR Congress said Mr Reddy reminded his sibling about how the entire family was ill-treated by the former chief minister, and that the leader did not come to their rescue when they were in trouble in view of a slew of cases in various courts. He advised party workers to get ready for next year's elections to the Legislative Assembly and project Mr Sreeramulu as the Chief Ministerial candidate. “Mr Janardhan Reddy and Mr Sreeramulu are not in a mood for pre-poll alliance with any party and have not accepted any offer. They have listed 49 Assembly seats as promising for the party and decided to go alone in these seats,“ the sources added.