The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Eshwarappa asks JD(S) to honour power-sharing pact

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 02, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Eshwarappa asks JD(S) to honour power-sharing pact

Special Correspondent

If it does not, such agreements will lose their value, says Minister

No scope for changes in the earlier
agreement: Minister
‘Bellary leaders’ remarks nothing to do with transfer of power’

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Strategy session: Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president Yashwant Sinha (centre) with party leaders, including B.S. Yediyurappa, H.N. Ananth Kumar and D.V. Sadananda Gowda at the meeting of BJP Ministers in Bangalore on Monday.

BANGALORE: With just a day left for the transfer of power to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Minister for Water Resources K.S. Eshwarappa on Monday asked the coalition partner Janata Dal (S) to honour the power-sharing agreement reached between two parties 20 months ago in the interests of the State and the people.

The agreement reached between two parties would become meaningless if the Janata Dal (S) declined to transfer the chief ministership to the BJP on October 3.

There was no scope for changes in the earlier agreement.

Hope

“We hope the Janata Dal (S) will honour the pact,” Mr. Eshwarappa told presspersons.

BJP vice-president Yashwant Sinha, who is in charge of party affairs in Karnataka, held talks with Janata Dal (S) president and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Sunday where the issue of transfer of power was discussed. The Minister said the urban electorate voted the ruling parties and sent a clear message to Congress leaders in the State.

The voters acknowledged the performance of the BJP Ministers and voted for power in three city corporations. The people wanted to continue this coalition arrangement, he said.

Campaign

Asked about the campaign against Mr. Deve Gowda’s family unleashed by three BJP leaders of Bellary, Mr. Eshwarappa said the Bellary leaders’ remarks had nothing do with transfer of power.

If the Janata Dal (S) failed to implement the pact, then nobody would have faith in power-sharing agreements in the future, he said. The former Prime Minister and Mr. Kumaraswamy had been criticising BJP leaders for their failure to take action against Bellary leaders, who constantly tried to sully the image of the Deve Gowda family.

About the alliance between Janata Dal (S) and BJP in urban local bodies where no party secured a majority, Mr. Eshwarappa said the party had given freedom to its local leaders to strike an alliance with Janata Dal (S) and chose the president and vice-president.

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