Bangalore: The top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is said to have decided to expel the suspended MLC, G. Janardhan Reddy, for defying the party directive not to precipitate matters by persisting with his bribery charge against Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and two of his Cabinet colleagues.

According to the sources in the BJP, top party leaders including the former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee, Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani, party president Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj, MP, had assured the delegation of BJP ministers led by Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa that Mr. Reddy would be expelled from the primary membership of the party.

The sources said the BJP delegation had also urged the top leadership to take action against the former Minister of State for Railways Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Arvind Limbavali, MLC, for associating themselves with Mr. Reddy.

The top leadership, it is said, had given an assurance that action would be taken against Mr. Yatnal and Mr. Limbavali.

Problems

Delhi Special Correspondent reports:

A day after stating that there was no division at all in the Karnataka unit of the party, Mr. Yediyurappa on Saturday acknowledged that there were some problems within the party and expressed confidence that they would be sorted by the end of this month. Speaking to presspersons after a meeting with Mr. Advani along with his colleagues in the State Cabinet, he said the party in the State was united, but for a few individuals. Efforts would be made to assimilate them into the party.

Asked about the situation arising out of the suspension of Mr. Reddy, he said the party would not have suspended him if only he had proper proof for his charges and had taken the party into confidence.

Mr. Yediyurappa reiterated that the equation between the BJP and its coalition partner, the Janata Dal (Secular), was strong and stable.

`Discrimination'

He said the central leadership of the party would take up the issue of discrimination against Karnataka by the Centre in providing assistance for drought and flood relief vis-à-vis Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

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