The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘I am sure Kumaraswamy will hand over charge’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 29, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘I am sure Kumaraswamy will hand over charge’

S. Rajendran

Yediyurappa hopeful JD(S)-BJP alliance will continue

Yediyurappa may call on the Chief Minister to iron out differences
Kumaraswamy likely to submit resignation to Deve Gowda on October 2

B.S. Yediyurappa

Bangalore: Despite the simmering differences between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party, Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is confident that power will be handed over to the BJP on October 3.

Mr. Yediyurappa told The Hindu: “I have full confidence that H.D. Kumaraswamy will hand over charge before the scheduled date. We enjoy a good relationship. It is this relationship which helped the coalition Government earn a good name in the last 20 months. I am sure that the Chief Minister is also aware that the people of the State are keenly awaiting the change of guard, and he will definitely not disappoint them.”

The Deputy Chief Minister exuded confidence that the Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP alliance would continue for long and that the present round of differences would be sorted out at the earliest. It was all because the coordination committee of the two parties had not met for nearly five months. Both sides had their own arguments and complaints and all these would be amicably settled “very shortly,” he said.

Meeting

Mr. Yediyurappa who is presently on a pilgrimage in Dakshina Kannada and Mysore districts is expected to call on the Chief Minister to iron out the differences, and thereafter in the company of several senior BJP Ministers and leaders call on Janata Dal (Secular) president H.D. Deve Gowda and reassure the latter that the BJP would abide by the common minimum programme between the two parties.

Mr. Kumaraswamy has already indicated to the Janata Dal (Secular) leadership that he is not interested in the “chair” beyond October 3, and so is Mr. Yediyurappa who believes that the Chief Ministership will come to him “based on the gentlemen’s agreement” without much ado . Both of them are of the view that the alliance between the two parties, which came about as a surprise 20 months ago, could always continue since it was borne out of a firm commitment on staying together irrespective of different political ideologies of their respective parties.

Sources in the Janata Dal (Secular) said that the Chief Minister would participate in some public functions on October 2 (Gandhi Jayanti) and thereafter submit his resignation to Mr. Gowda.

In other words, Mr. Kumaraswamy would bid adieu one day ahead of the deadline. It would thereafter be the prerogative of Mr. Gowda to take a final decision on the resignation apart from continuing with the alliance with the BJP.

The opinion of the party legislators is also expected to come into play at that point of time.

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