Arun Jaitley to hold talks with Karnataka BJP leaders

Against the backdrop of the BJP government in Karnataka coming under sustained attack on corruption, senior party leader Arun Jaitley will meet top members, including chief minister BS Yeddyurappa.

Jaitley, during his stay in Bangalore today, will hold confabulations with state unit President KS Eswarappa and other leaders to discuss strategies to counter opposition parties' campaign against its government.

The outburts by governor HR Bhardwaj against the government, particularly his comment that he has a list of corrupt ministers, will also figure in the discussion, sources in BJP said.

The JD(S) last week released a book on alleged corruption charges surrounding Yeddyurappa and has declared that it will distribute it at the national level among various political parties, including BJP.

The Congress has also been attacking the government and recently sought the dismissal of three Bellary ministers against whom allegations of tax evasion have been made.

The relentless attack on the government by the governor and opposition has been source of anxiety for the BJP central leadership which last month decided to give reprieve to Yeddyurappa to continue in office despite allegations of corruption against him and his family.

The state has already faced the first phase of panchayat elections and will witness the second and final phase of voting on December 31 in a prestigious test of popularity at the grassroot level.

Jaitley is returning to Delhi tomorrow, sources said.