The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Group to resolve row between Deve Gowda, Siddaramaiah

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 04, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Group to resolve row between Deve Gowda, Siddaramaiah

Staff Reporter

Horatti to head group, request the two senior leaders to meet

Basavaraj Horatti

BANGALORE: The Minister for Small Savings and Lotteries, Basavaraj Horatti, has set out to resolve the differences between the Janata Dal (S) President and former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramiah.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Horatti said the JD(S) State unit President, N. Thippanna, and the former Union Minister C.M. Ibrahim will be included in the group of leaders which will attempt at bringing about a rapprochement. Once they achieve some success, they will request Mr. Deve Gowda and Mr. Siddaramiah to end their differences at a meeting without aides.

He said the people have supported the JD(S) for its ideology. Leaders are visiting villages to mobilise new supporters for the party. Is it possible for a straightforward leader such as Mr. Siddaramiah to join a party such as the Congress, he asked.

He alleged that Congress leaders, such as the former Ministers H. Vishwanath and H.M. Revanna, played a role in creating divisions between Mr. Deve Gowda and Mr. Siddaramiah.

Hoping that he will succeed in his mission, Mr. Horatti said he has postponed his tour of northern Karnataka to hold talks with top leaders here.

`Leaders returning'

Asked why the JD(S) leadership has invited M. Rajashekara Murthy, former Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP, to join the party at a time when there is talk of leaders such as Mr. Siddaramiah leaving the party, he said the former Janata Parivar leaders are returning to the JD(S). But he declined to comment on whether Mr. Murthy will join the party.

Mr. Horatti said he has instructed the Director of State Lotteries to ban two-digit and three-digit lotteries from next April. The department has detected a group of lottery traders allegedly cheating lottery winners by telling them that their tickets are bogus and claiming the money. He said 13 such cases have been referred to the Corps of Detectives. In one case, the claim of L.C. Kutti, who had won a prize of Rs. 5 lakhs, was challenged by a person from Navalgund who said he had the prize-winning ticket. But on inquiry, it was found that the ticket with the person from Navalgund was not genuine.

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