Smile wearing thin: DVS to quit as CM?

[1]

Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda has confided to close confidantes that he no longer wants to be chief minister. Seven months after taking office and in the midst of a bruising campaign to ensure that his former constituency does not slip out of the deeply divided BJP's hands at the forthcoming March 18 bypoll in the face of his predecessor’s boycott of the campaign, ‘Sadananda’ Gowda’s smile may be slipping.

Attacked by his predecessor and denied co-operation by his own ministerial colleagues, he is said to be saddened over developments in the party, and reportedly expressed his wish to step down. In a reference to porngate and Black Friday, he told close confidantes that the situation had become so vitiated that he “no longer enjoyed being the chief minister”.

The all-important decision on whether he would put in his papers or not, would be made after the budget session, with sources not ruling out the possibility of the CM saying this out of frustration and not as a bargaining chip to stay on. “That’s against his nature”, his confidantes said.

Sources also said that he was not as bothered by the campaign unleashed against him by Mr Yeddyurappa’s supporters as he knows he owes his position to the RSS and the BJP top brass. But he is rattled by pressure on him to sign petitions and files sent by his predecessor, which he is unwilling to sanction without due process.

Inside sources said the former CM has reportedly sent files related to land denotification and other recommendations which are legally untenable, making it difficult for the CM to approve them. In addition to moves to unseat him, and the prospect of the budget session being in jeopardy, the non-co-operation by cabinet ministers loyal to Mr Yeddyurappa has made it impossible for him to govern, sources said.