BS Yeddyurappa has whipped out the Reddy card in his battle with the BJP high command.
Thanks to a fresh bout of crisis in the BJP, jailed former tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy is once again a man in much demand.
Refusing to leave any stone unturned in his quest to regain his lost crown, former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa has whipped out the Reddy card in his battle with the BJP high command.
Yeddyurappa is sending his trusted lieutenant and excise minister MP Renukacharya to hold parleys with Reddy, who is cooling his heels at Chanchalguda jail in Hyderabad. The former chief minister wants to ensure that he has the support of Bellary big boys for his rumoured plans to float his own party if the BJP bosses continue to ignore his demand.
Confirming the move, Renukacharya said he would soon meet Janardhana Reddy in Chanchalguda jail. “He is our old friend; there is nothing special about our meeting. It’s been a long time since we met and I have several issues to discuss,” said Renukacharya. While Renukacharya is yet to take the flight to Hyderabad, some of his BJP friends —Anand Asnotikar and BK Bellubbi—have already paid a quiet visit to Chanchalguda jail.
The sudden love towards Reddy is being seen as yet another ploy by Yeddyurappa to pressurise the high command to fulfill his demand. Yeddyurappa is likely to forge an alliance with independent MLA B Sriramulu, who floated his own party — BSR Congress.
With Yeddyurappa threatening to split the party and walk out with more than 60 MLAs, the BJP is worried about protecting the DV Sadananda Gowda government. The new bonhomie between Gowda and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda is a clear indication of preparing for the worst.
But the group opposed to Yeddyurappa is still optimistic of handling the crisis, in case Yeddyurappa quits the party. “Though Yeddyurappa claims support of over 60 MLAs, it is not sure how many will really follow him if he quits the party. The number will definitely be much lesser than what Yeddyurappa claims,” said a senior BJP leader, who is advocating a strong stand against Yeddyurappa.
The anti-Yeddyurappa group is hopeful of the JD(S) coming to their rescue to save Sadananda Gowda’s government. According to sources, the JD(S) leadership has expressed its readiness to bail out the government headed by Sadananda Gowda, a Vokkaliga.
The JD(S) has 26 members in the assembly.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}