BJP rebels set three-day deadline to Sadananda Gowda

PTI

Bangalore, 19 Jun 2012: Breaking the lull, the B S Yeddyurappa camp in ruling BJP in Karnataka today set a three-day deadline to Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda to convene the legislature party meeting, throwing up a fresh challenge to his leadership.

 

At a meeting here, the dissidents decided to ask Gowda to summon the Legislature party meet within three days, their persistent demand which the Chief Minister has been dodging.

 

Briefing reporters, Public Works Minister C M Udasi, a loyalist of state BJP strongman Yeddyurappa, claimed 40 MLAs, seven MLCs and three MPs attended the breakfast meeting at his residence.

 

Udasi said Yeddyurappa and Rural Development Minister Jagadish Shettar, whom the rebels have projected as a successor to Gowda, would soon leave for Delhi to hold talks with central leaders. He said the Yeddyurappa camp enjoyed support of 75 MLAs out of 120 in the 224-member assembly. The MLAs want to discuss development issues in their constituencies and also problems faced by them, Udasi said.

 

Sources in the rebel camp say it has been decided to take the "oust Gowda" campaign this time to a logical end. When asked what would be the group’s future course of action, if the chief minister did not comply with their deadline, Udasi remarked, "Let us wait for three days".

 

Yeddyurappa, who is sulking after repeated failures to get the chiefministership back with central leadership rebuffing him, has been pushing for Shettar, also a Lingayat like him, for the chief minister’s post.

 

Gowda, who cancelled his Bijapur tour today, is camping in the city in view of the developments.