The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BJP to seek meet of coordination panel this week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BJP to seek meet of coordination panel this week

Special Correspondent

Party wants to spike rumours about trouble between coalition partners

BANGALORE: The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to urge Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to convene a meeting of the coalition coordination committee this week to clear the air in the wake of rumours that the Janata Dal (Secular) might once again enter into a pact with the Congress.

"The reality is that there are no problems between the coalition partners or in the Government. However, such speculation (about a relationship gone sour) will create confusion among people. Therefore, we want a message of unity to be sent across the State through the coordination committee," BJP spokesperson S. Suresh Kumar told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Such speculation, if not cleared, will affect the image of the Government and also overshadow its achievements. Therefore the coordination committee should give the right message to the people at the earliest, he said.

Refutes statement

At the same time, he refuted the statement made by JD(S) national president H.D. Deve Gowda that the BJP was against re-categorising reservation for the Other Backward Classes. "The BJP is very much in favour of providing internal reservation," he said. The party was ready to hold discussions with any of the JD(S) leaders, including Mr. Gowda, on the subject.

Mr. Kumar took exception to Mr. Gowda's allegation that the BJP was trying to "hoodwink" the poor. "Our main aim is to use political power to help the poor. Such allegations have hurt the ordinary workers of the BJP," he said. The BJP leader also observed that making such comments in public would create confusion not only among the people but also among bureaucrats.

Mr. Kumar blamed the Opposition Congress for being responsible for the confusion. Congress leaders were yet to digest the fact that they had lost power. "Let the Congress learn to behave like an Opposition party and Dharam Singh as an Opposition leader," he remarked.

Sources in the BJP said that the party was using its ongoing district-level Vikasa Shibira (development camps) for party workers to set the record straight. "We are telling our party workers from this forum that such speculation is only a kite-flying exercise and they should ignore it," sources said.

The party leaders are expected to meet in a couple days to take stock of the political situation after State party president D.V. Sadananda Gowda recovers from viral fever, sources said.

Yediyurappa back

Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa returned to Bangalore from Delhi on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters on the occasion, he accused Congress leaders of being frustrated because they were not in power. They were trying to create political confusion as well as a rift between the ruling coalition partners.

He said he was confident that Mr. Kumaraswamy would hand over the power to the BJP after the completion of his 20-month term as Chief Minister and that the JD(S)-BJP coalition would remain united.

Mr. Yediyurappa said he could not meet Central party leaders during his Delhi visit, as they were busy with the Uttar Pradesh election campaign.

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