'BSY, Loyalists mentally unstable'

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Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has invited trouble by allotting two additional portfolios to minister for municipal administration and former CM D.V. Sadananda Gowda's staunch supporter, Balachandra Jarkiholi.

Shettar's decision has irked former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his supporters as some of them were also demanding plum portfolios.

Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, the former chief minister warned his successor of “consequences“ if he continued to take unilateral decisions.

“I hope Mr Shettar will not go the way D.V. Sadananda Gowda (his predecessor) did. It seems that there is thinking that if I go out of BJP, they can continue the government with the support of Janata Dal (S). I will not allow this even in their dreams“, said an agitated Mr Yeddyurappa. Reacting to former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s statement that Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar was planning to seek the support of Janata Dal (S), state unit president H.D. Kumaraswamy remarked on Wednesday that the beleaguered BJP leader and his supporters were suffering from mental instability.

Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy said the BJP government was on the verge of collapsing on its own, and therefore there was no question of Dal (S) joining hands with the ruling party. It would be better if Shettar recommended dissolution of the Assembly and faced the electorate at the earliest.

Taking a dig at Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy said the BJP leader had charged D V Sadananda Gowda with conniving with Dal (S) leaders. The former chief minister was now attempting to link Shettar with leaders of his party, he added.

The former CM did not spare Congress leaders either, and asked them to look into internal problems plaguing their party. “The Congress leaders wasted their time and energy on weakening our party, but failed. Instead, their organisational set up was plagued by internal squabbles. In next year’s elections to the Legislative Assembly, the JD(S) will concentrate on all 224 constituencies,” he added.