Insiders say chief minister hatching plan to strike back at Reddy brothers by expelling them from BJP
Insiders say chief minister hatching plan to strike back at Reddy brothers by expelling them from BJPNow that he is on slightly firmer ground after negotiating a difficult truce with the rebels, Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is learnt to be on to his next gambit. He is reportedly planning the expulsion of the Reddy brothers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as the Bellary mining barons who led the recent rebellion against him are now left with only a handful of members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) on their side.
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TURNING THE TABLES? Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa weathered the storm, and is now thinking of consolidating his position. |
It is also believed that the Janata Dal (Secular) is ready to fill in the numbers gap left for Yeddyurappa to retain power in case G Karunakara and Janardana Reddy take their few remaining loyalists out with them.
"Most of the MLAs who were kept holed up in resorts outside Bangalore by the Reddys during the crisis a couple of weeks ago are no longer with them," said a source in the BJP. "They were with them because of money and the promise of power. Money can no longer be a factor, what with the rebellion over, and they also know the Reddys cannot make all of them ministers. Their numbers are shrinking. This has prompted the chief minister to plan for the Reddys' expulsion."
Feelers from JD(S)
With JD (S) boss H D Deve Gowda sending feelers that he is ready to lend support, his son and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is believed to be in constant touch with BJP leaders.
Kumaraswamy said, "Just wait and watch because that is exactly what even we are doing now.
There is a tit for every tat, but I expect the chief minister to have some self-respect."
JD (S) has 27 MLAs, and if Janaradana Reddy takes away some BJP MLAs, JD (S) can easily make up for Yeddyurappa's loss.
As a result, Yeddyurappa's confidence is going up and he is said to have already started refusing the Reddys' demands.
For instance, Jagadish Shettar, who resigned as speaker of assembly yesterday, is the only one likely to join the cabinet, while aspirants like Bellubbi, M P Renukacharya, C T Ravi and others from the Reddy camp keep waiting in despair.
"While the Reddys want these leaders to be in the cabinet, Yeddyurappa is demanding the resignation of ministers loyal to them," said the source.
"This is his latest stance because of his growing confidence. Reddys look like they are running out of ideas."
Janaradana Reddy, who was with Shettar when he resigned, told MiD DAY that whatever goes on in the BJP it was necessary to keep the JD(S) at bay at any cost.
"It is dangerous to allow the JD(S) to take advantage of our internal crisis. Nobody must forget the bitter experience we have had with the party when we ran a coalition government with them," he said. "I think our leaders will not repeat the mistake."
Future flashpoint
The stalemate over the formation of the coordination committee will be the trigger point for the next round of crisis, according to sources.
While the Reddys want a coordination committee under the leadership of a national leader, preferably Sushma Swaraj, Yedyurappa is opposing the very idea of a committee. He is hell-bent on not allowing either Swaraj or his bete noir H N Ananthkumar to lead the coordination committee.
"This may lead to a flashpoint and the Reddys will be in a tight spot," said the source.
"And the CM will easily show them the door and welcome JD(S) to join the government."
