Dissidents ignore Rajnath’s assertion,press for BSY’s removal

The crisis in the first and only saffron government in the south showed no signs of let up with the dissidents not willing to give up their demands.

Ignoring BJP President Rajnath Singh’s assertion that B S Yeddyurappa will continue as Chief Minister,party dissidents in Karnataka on Tuesday continued their campaign for his removal and pressed for some other demands.

The crisis in the first and only saffron government in the south showed no signs of let up with the dissidents not willing to give up their demands and reach some sort of a compromise.

The BJP high command,which is not in any mood to give in to the demand of the Bellary brothers,heading the dissident group,on the Chief Minister’s removal but is not not averse to considering their other demands,reliable party sources said.

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Their demands include whittling down of the powers of Rural Development Minister Shoba Karandlaje,who is in the eye of rebels’ storm,transfer of some key officials and review of cess on lorries carrying iron ore,said to be hurting the interests of the mining magnates Reddy brothers.

“In the interest of BJP and the workers in Karnataka,we need a very good leadership in the state. Whatever my stand is,I am not not changing,” Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy,one of the Reddy brothers spearheading dissidence,told reporters here after meeting senior leader Sushma Swaraj.

In Bangalore,his brother and Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy,described as “creation” of the media that Yeddyurappa would continue.

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