JDS and BJP intensify political war

PTI

Bangalore, 19 March 2011: Intensifying their political war, JDS today accused Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa of receiving Rs 13 crore as kickback in an irrigation contract but the CM’s camp hit back digging out an alleged corruption case against its leader H D Kumaraswamy. 

 

Dealing another blow to Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy accused him of having received the kickback through two private firms owned by his family, from a private company for awarding an irrigation project contract to it.

 

He alleged that Davalagiri Property Developers and Sahyadri Health Care and Diagnostics, run by Yeddyurappa’s family, benefited from Murudeshwara Power Corporation, for awarding Rs 1032 crore Upper Bhadra Lift irrigation scheme package-II, to it.

 

The contract was awarded when Yeddyurappa was Deputy Chief Minister in the JDS-BJP coalition government (headed by Kumaraswamy) and was completed when he became Chief Minister, Kumaraswamy alleged. Striking back, B J Puttaswamy, political secretary to the Chief Minister, charged that Kumaraswamy had indulged in acts of "nepotism" by denotifying land acquired by Bangalore Development Authority, which was purchased at lower rates and sold for higher prices by his family members.

 

He alleged that Kavitha, wife of H D Balakrishna Gowda, brother of Kumaraswamy, purchased 10.17 acres denotified by BDA during Congress-JDS coalition government regime for Rs 50 lakh and later sold it for Rs four crore.

 

Puttaswamy also charged that Kumaraswamy allotted 25 "G" category sites from BDA to his relatives, including his mother-in-law when he was the chief minister and asked "is it not a case of nepotism".

 

"Kumaraswamy had earlier challenged that he would quit politics, if anyone proved that he indulged in acts of nepotism like Yeddyurappa. Now I have proved it. Will he honour his words now?"  Puttaswamy said. He also alleged that some relatives of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda had  purchased lands illegally denotified by Kumaraswamy and later sold it for higher prices.

 

Kumaraswamy had denotified 194.33 acres illegally as chief minister causing Rs 2,000 crore loss to BDA, he alleged. Rejecting Kumaraswamy’s fresh charge, Puttaswamy said Murudeswara Power Corporation paid Rs ten crore as its share capital in its joint venture with Davalagiri Properties to develop an industrial park and another Rs three crore to set up a hopsital with Sahyadri Health Care in Shimoga.

 

Kumaraswamy has been consistently targeting Yeddyurappa levelling a series of allegations against him and his family but the chief minister has come out with counter-charges.