K’taka crisis: Compromise formula being worked out

BJP leadership is understood to have offered a compromise formula under which Rural Development Minister Shobha Karandlaje may be removed in an attempt to buy peace with Karnataka dissidents.

BJP leadership is understood to have offered a compromise formula under which Rural Development Minister Shobha Karandlaje may be removed in an attempt to buy peace with Karnataka dissidents who were still said to be gunning for Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.

Party President Rajnath Singh ruled out change of leadership in the state saying it is not negotiable as top leaders conveyed to Tourism Minister and dissident leader Janardhana Reddy that some of their demands could be met,party sources said.

This includes removal of Karandlaje,who is said to be close to the Chief Minister and whose ouster is one of the major demands of the Reddy brothers,the sources said.

The other points in the compromise formula are meeting the demands like making Speaker Jagdish Shettar a Cabinet Minister and transfer of the Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary P V Baligar,they said.

It was not immediately clear whether the compromise formula was acceptable to the dissidents. In an effort to resolve the crisis stalking the first BJP government in the South,top party leaders,including Rajnath Singh,Venkaiah Naidu,Sushma Swaraj,Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar held a series of meetings among themselves and with Janardhana Reddy.

Naidu,who along with other senior leaders Ananth Kumar,Sushma Swaraj and Jaitley held discussions with Janardhana Reddy,said “the crisis will be resolved in a day or two.” Janardhana Reddy parried questions on whether the reported compromise formula was acceptable to him.

“I will not meet the Chief Minister. Why are you asking me this? Why should I meet him? I will not meet the CM at all,” he shot back at reporters after the meeting.

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Reddy,who has been camping here for last three days,said he has met all the senior party leaders,including Rajnath Singh,and explained to them in detail “what I have been saying for the past five six days.”

Mentioning all the leaders,including L K Advani by name,he expressed the hope that the party high command would take a “very very good decision” in the interest of the state,party and development. He voiced confidence that the party would provide “good leadership” to the state.

Reddy,along with his brother Revenue Minister Karunakara Reddy has been spearheading campaign against Yeddyurappa. Earlier Yeddyurappa sought to reach out to the dissidents,saying he was “trying his level best” to meet Janardhana Reddy and his brother Karunakara Reddy. Reddy,however,immediately rebuffed him,saying “I will not meet the Chief Minister at all”.

The party leaders told him that his public comments against the Chief Minister were not acceptable.