Rajnath deputes Naidu as peacemaker to Karnataka

NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu will on Monday hold talks with the Janata Dal (Secular) in Karnataka over a row between the ruling coalition partners in the state on an expressway nationalisation plan, BJP chief Rajnath Singh said on Saturday.

His comments came in the wake of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, father of Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, attacking the BJP over its state leaders’ opposition to the government's nationalisation plans for the Bangalore-Mysore expressway.

Gowda insisted that state BJP leaders' opposition to expressway nationalisation moves would strain relations between the coalition partners.

“I have authorised Venkaiah Naidu to hold a discussion with JD (S) leaders on June 19 to resolve the issue and give me a report," Singh said.

But he refused comment on the former Prime Minister's remarks regarding a possible dip in ties between the ruling allies in Karnataka.

At a meeting earlier, Singh, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and party leaders L K Advani and Vinay Katiyar also reviewed coordination between Orissa BJP leaders and party representatives in the state government.

Orissa BJP chief J Oraom and a group of state Ministers and MLAs met the BJP leadership here as part of the party's moves to hold regular coordination meetings of leaders in the states under its control.

Singh also emphasised the need to strengthen the organisation in states, especially in UP, ahead of the Assembly elections there next year.