Do not to take unilateral decisions: Yeddyurappa warns Shettar

Stung by the expulsion of a leader loyal to him from the party, disgruntled Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yeddyurappa today asked Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar not to take "unilateral" decisions or be prepared to face "consequences".

"I hope Shettar will not go the way of D V Sadananda Gowda (his predecessor) did. It seems there is a thinking that if I go out of BJP, they can continue the govenment with JDS support. I will not allow this even in their dreams", Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

Yeddyurappa's remarks come a day after the expulsion of former Union minister Dhananjay Kumar from BJP for six years for his open outbursts against Shettar and the state leadership.

Yeddyurappa also flayed the decision of Shettar to allocate two additional departments to Minister for Municipal Administration Balachandra Jarkiholi, his known baiter, claiming it was done at promptings by JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy.

The two developments may worsen the differences in the badly divided BJP in Karnataka.

Yeddyurappa accused Shettar of taking "unilateral decision" without consulting him and other leaders and said, "If this continues, I should not be held responsible for the consequences". He, however, added, "We want Shettar to continue as Chief Minister till April next"

He sought to find fault with Shettar's working and alleged that the situation caused by the drought was not being given due importance by the government.

"I will discuss with Cabinet ministers who are loyal to me and also with my supporters and decide on future course of action", the Lingayat leader, who has repeatedly talked about floating a new political party by December, said.

Yeddyurappa had forced BJP central leaership to sack Sadananda Gowda and replace him with Shettar in July.

He demanded that ministers loyal to him such as Sunil Valyapure, M P Renukacharaya, Narasimha Naik and Revnunaik Bilamagi be given additional portfolios.

... contd.

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