Cong ally JDS got lawyers to complain,Gov obliged

Bangalore War: JDS legal cell admits Shimoga lawyers part of its strategy.

In Karnatakas legal circles,the names of advocates Sirajin Bhasha and K N Balaraj were unknown until three weeks ago. Today,the two advocates from small town Shimoga were all over national TV as they trooped into Bangalores city civil court complex,armed with a sanction from Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj,to file a complaint against their townsman,Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

In the bitter political battle between the Governor and the Chief Minister that has become a proxy for a larger war between the BJP and the political opposition,led by the Congress at both the national and state levels these two lightweight Shimoga advocates have appeared out of place. But in the special Lok Ayukta court today,it was clear that the power behind them comes from the Janata Dal Secular party an ally of the Congress.

Surrounding Bhasha and Balaraj,as they lodged the first in a series of complaints related to 18 crimes of alleged corruption,cheating and conspiracy against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa were lawyers normally identified with the legal cell of the Janata Dal Secular.

Representing Bhasha and Balaraj was senior advocate C H Hanumantharaya and advising Hanumantharaya was A P Ranganath,chief of the JDS legal cell follower of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda,the president of the JDS himself involved in a bitter duel with the BJP.

Yes,we have been backing these complaints. It is part of our strategy, said Ranganath.

The Sunday Express learnt that Bhasha and Balaraj,advocates fighting cases typically in the smaller district courts in Shimoga,are not affiliated to any party but were carefully handpicked to be the medium in a strategy devised at the highest levels of the JDS in consultation with allies at the highest levels to bring the BJP and its Karnataka mainstay B S Yeddyurappa down.

This is all part of the political game. Small time advocates not associated with any party were picked to prevent allegations of direct political bias. This was done by the JDS, a JDS legal cell member said on the condition of anonymity.

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This morning,senior leaders of the JDS were closeted with the two Shimoga advocates and other lawyers,preparing the first set of documents to be filed in court,sources involved with the drafting of the complaints said.

Over the past few days as heat on the issue of sanction of prosecution of Yeddyurappa gathered steam,there were reports of the likelihood of the two Shimoga advocates backing down but the JDS prevailed on them to stay the course,sources said.

The grant of prosecution by Bhardwaj,with the help of the JDS,to bring Yeddyurappa to book for land deals done in favour of his family is being widely seen as a new chapter in the political war that erupted between the Congress and the BJP in New Delhi following the 23-day shutdown in Parliament against the Congress and the UPA by the BJP.

While the battle is as much about Karnataka,many eyes are also on the coming Budget sessions at both the state and the Centre as crucial turning points where corruption issues stalk both the Congress and the BJP.

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The grant of permission for prosecution by the Governor is a political permission and we will fight it politically, Yeddyurappa said Saturday while congratulating the BJPs workers for shutting down Karnataka over the Governors sanction to prosecute him.