BSY sacrifices Secy,but crisis continues

When a senior leader pointed out that the numbers didn’t actually favour him,Yeddyurappa said that it was the party high command that had advised against parading party legislators in the Capital. Advani told Yeddyurappa

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BJP’s southern crisis continues as CM sacrifices his secy,says no more concessions

that he should not worry and that the crisis would be resolved with him as the chief minister.

M Venkaiah Naidu,Rajnath Singh,Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj were present also present at the meeting. Commenting on the day’s developments,a senior party leader said: “It’s an inch-by-inch progress”.

The party has asked Yeddyurappa to extend his stay in the Capital by a day. Rebel leader Janardhan Reddy,who returned to Hyderabad to hold talks with his camp followers,too,is expected here by Saturday.

Speaking in Hyderabad,Janardhan,however,feigned ignorance about any “compromise formula” to resolve the party crisis,but added that the crisis in the state BJP “would be resolved in two-three days.”

The party is now also planning to use the carrot-and-stick policy with the Reddy brothers who face a slew of cases on flouting mining norms in Bellary. Legislators belonging to the Reddy camp would also be given the rapprochement or elections” option,party leaders said.

Sources said the Reddy group numbers could diminish with the meeting of some of the primary demands of the rebels paving the way for chances of more stability for a Yeddyurappa-led BJP government.

Yeddyurappa confirmed that Baligar had been removed as per the “request of the Reddy brothers”.

Baligar,who went on from being a highly regarded IAS man to a powerful officer,was shunted to the industries department while the chief project officer of the Karnataka highways,I S N Prasad,was put in his place.

Baligar,a tough officer known to have had his share of spats with Yeddyurappa,earned the wrath of many MLAs for his “uncompromising” ways in addressing issues raised by them.

Another sacrificial candidate as Yeddyurappa hangs on to his seat,his confidante Shobha Karandlaje,is expected to be the next affected in the crossfire between the Bellary Reddys and Yeddyurappa. Karandlaje remained incommunicado on Friday evening even as reports swirled of her likely resignation to appease the MLAs from the Reddy group. Earlier in the day she had said that she was willing to quit in the interest of the BJP.

Sources,however,said Karandlaje’s exit could be delayed a bit to prevent the impression of Yeddyurappa being cowed by the rebels and in order to facilitate her rehabilitation in the party. There is talk of her even emerging as the Speaker of the legislative assembly if Jagadish Shettar ¿ the original chief minister candidate projected by the Reddys—is accommodated in the Yeddyurappa cabinet.