Compromise struck: BSY to stay,Shobha may go

Sources in the party said while Yeddyurappa will stay on as the CM,the compromise formula entails a ministerial berth for Speaker Jagadish Shettar. Asked if Home Minister V S Acharya will be replaced by Shettar,Yeddyurappa answered in the negative. “Acharya shall not be removed under any circumstances,” he said. Acharya is Yeddyurappa’s closest aide in the Cabinet. Shettar,who like Yeddyurappa is a Lingayat leader,has so far stuck to his decision to turn down a Cabinet berth — offered by the CM earlier.

The formula also includes removal of Shobha Karandlaje,a Yeddyurappa confidante,and a key minister. A Vokkaliga leader,Shobha has been charged by the rebel camp with “interfering in other ministries,including the Tourism and Revenue ministries” — held by Janardhan Reddy and Karunakar Reddy,respectively. Janardhan Reddy,in his discussions

with central leaders,has repeatedly complained about her interference.

The formula would also entail transfer of V P Baligar,principal secretary to the CM,who has been charged with “making the CM inaccessible to party legislators”.

The dates for the changes have not been finalised,though. Janardhan Reddy has rushed back to Hyderabad to hold consultations with the rebel MLAs.

Yeddyurappa,meanwhile,is learnt to have taken a firm stand on cases being faced by the Reddy brothers for flouting mining norms in Bellary.

Later in the evening,speaking exclusively to The Indian Express in Karnataka Bhawan,a relaxed Yeddyurappa advocated for decentralisation in the political system and the need to curb the role of money power in politics.

Asked if the crisis in the Karnataka BJP has put the spotlight on the role of money power in politics,he said: “Everyone has seen that. Who would not agree with it (the need to curb the role of money power in politics)”.

He recalled that the BJP’s 2009 Lok Sabha campaign,under L K Advani,“had laid a lot of stress on this” (party’s chief ministers were made its faces in their respective states; and the Yeddyurappa-led BJP bagged 19 out of 28 seats in Karnataka).