For his loyalists, BSY matters, not water
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While the state is reeling under a drought the infighting in the BJP is clearly coming in the way of the government's measures to tackle it with MLAs from the Yeddyurappa camp showing little inclination to cooperate with Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda in his plans to get more water supply for the affected areas.
On Sunday the Chief Minister told reporters here that ministers Umesh Katti and Basavaraj Bommai would rush to Mumbai that very night to meet Maharashtra ministers to urge for early release of 2 tmc ft water from the Koyna reservoir to help the state with the drought. But he might as well have not spoken as givng Mumbai a miss, Mr Katti went to Bengaluru instead to attend a meeting called by former Chief Minister , B.S. Yeddyurappa who had summoned all his followers to join him in the city following his talks with BJP leader, Dharmendra Pradhan.
According to sources, Maharashtra has already released Karnataka's share of water from Koyna in the last few months and will have to be persuaded to release 2 TMC ft of water immediately and another 2 TMC ft next month.. Mr Sadananda Gowda was keen on using Mr Katti 's sevices as he has a good rapport with Maharashtra ministers as he is from border areas and has been acquainted with them for a long time.
His help could be invaluable as the Maharashtra government is facing opposition from several of its own leaders to release of additional water to Karnataka. But the groupism in the ruling BJP is coming in the way of the government doing its best on this front which could prove costly in the weeks to come as the drought situation worsens.
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