Yeddy in Delhi to meet BJP top brass
With the battle between Karnataka governor H.R. Bhardwaj and the BJP getting worse with each passing day, reports suggest that the Reddy brothers controversy has fuelled a division within the BJP itself. To ease the growing tension in the state over the issue, state chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on late Friday night reached Delhi to meet with the party top brass.
Sources disclosed that the party’s top leadership is divided over the issue of the Reddy brothers continuing in the state Cabinet.
Party sources disclosed that within the BJP central leadership, the Reddy brothers are mainly supported by the leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Ms Sushma Swaraj and party general secretary Ananth Kumar. The rest of the party’s top brass, it is learnt, is of the view that the Reddy brothers have become a “liability,” therefore, they need to go. Sources further disclosed that Mr Kumar has thrown his weight behind the Reddys, basically to cut Mr Yeddyurappa to size while Ms Swaraj’s election campaigns have always been managed by the Reddys and therefore she remains indebted to them.
Mr Yeddyurappa, who is to call on the BJP leadership on Saturday, will take up the issue of illegal mining in the state. He has said on record that iron ore to the tune of several crores has been smuggled from Karnataka. Besides, it’s being insinuated that the chief minister was not very keen to end the stalemate in the Karnataka Assembly when the Opposition demanded a CBI probe into the mining business. Even though Mr Yeddyurappa did not agree to the Opposition demand, he let the Opposition members continue the dharna to highlight the issue and discredit the Reddys.
It should be remembered that the Reddys tried to oust Mr Yeddyurappa from the chief minister’s post last year.
Even at that time, it was Ms Swaraj and Mr Kumar who mediated between the Reddy brothers and Mr Yeddyurappa.
Now, the BJP leadership will have to take the call on how to deal with this issue.
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