The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State BJP recommends action against vice-president Yatnal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 27, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State BJP recommends action against vice-president Yatnal

Special Correspondent

Party comes out strongly in support of Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa

ALL UNITED: BJP State unit president D.V. Sadananda Gowda briefing the press after a high-level party meeting in Bangalore on Friday. He is flanked by Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa (left) and national general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar. Be hind them are the Ministers (from left) Jagadish Shettar, K.S. Eshwarappa, C.M. Udasi and Ramachandra Gowda. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE: The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come out strongly in support of Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and condemned the fulminations of State unit vice-president Basanagouda Patil R. Yatnal against him. It has unanimously recommended to BJP national president Rajnath Singh to initiate disciplinary action against Mr. Yatnal for levelling baseless accusations against Mr. Yediyurappa.

Unanimous decision

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Yediyurappa said party leaders met on Friday and took a unanimous decision to send a report on the issue to the central leadership. Mr. Yediyurappa, who declined to react to the allegations, said, "I have no power to take action against him (Mr. Yatnal). Only the party's national president and State president have the power. I have the support of all the party Ministers and MLAs."

He said Mr. Yatnal had been levelling such allegations for the past five or six months. "I don't know why he is doing it." Mr. Yediyurappa categorically denied that there were any groups in the party.

BJP national general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar, MP, and State president D.V. Sadananda Gowda attended the meeting.

Denies quitting

Mr. Yediyurappa denied reports that he had resigned as Deputy Chief Minister following "dissidence" in the party. He termed media reports to that effect "totally false and baseless." He had not sent any resignation letter to Mr. Rajnath Singh or Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, he said. There were reports that Mr. Yediyurappa had threatened to quit if action was not taken against Mr. Yatnal, who launched an "Oust Yediyurappa and save BJP" campaign on Tuesday by setting a 15-day deadline for him to quit as BJP Legislature Party leader.

Mr. Yediyurappa said internal differences were common in any party. There were divergent views among party leaders on selection of candidates for elections to the Legislative Council from the Legislative Assembly and appointment of State unit office-bearers. The central leadership had cleared the names of the candidates selected for the Council elections, he said.

On Mr. Yatnal's charge that he was working against the interests of the North Karnataka region, he said the budget was there for all to see. It had focussed on development works in that region. Decisions on implementing proposed schemes would be taken before June 5. The Government was for taking up development works and there was no compromise on it, the Deputy Chief Minister said.

Yatnal called to Delhi

Bijapur Staff Correspondent writes:

The central leadership of the party has reportedly "invited" Mr. Yatnal to seek an "explanation" about the allegations he made against Mr. Yediyurappa.

Mr. Yatnal was not available for comment, but sources close to him said party general secretary Sanjay Joshi talked to him on the phone on Thursday. Mr. Yatnal said he would be able to go to Delhi only after May 30 to clarify his stand. He had been assured that the matter would be sorted out to the satisfaction of all concerned, sources added.

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