The Hindu : Front Page : JD(S)-BJP differences ironed out

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Thursday, Nov 15, 2007
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JD(S)-BJP differences ironed out

Special Correspondent

We will be part of Karnataka government, says ex-Chief Minister Kumaraswamy

BANGALORE: The simmering differences between the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that cast a shadow on ministry formation appeared to have been sorted out at a meeting between Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and JD(S) Legislature Party leader H.D. Kumaraswamy here on Wednesday.

Mr. Kumaraswamy told The Hindu that the JD(S) would now be part of the government. All 18 JD(S) Ministers would be sworn in on November 21.

Decisions on hold

Mr. Yeddyurappa will seek a confidence vote on the floor of the Legislative Assembly. All decisions taken at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting will be kept in abeyance until a full-fledged ministry is in place.

Mr. Yeddyurappa has sought four days to finalise the written understanding between the two parties.

He said he would first discuss it with his party’s central leaders.

A JD(S) Legislature Party meeting held earlier in the day authorised Mr. Kumaraswamy to finalise the power-sharing arrangement and the list of Ministers and chairmen for boards and corporations in consultation with the national and State JD(S) presidents H.D. Deve Gowda and N. Merajuddin Patel.

JD(S): new faces likely

Sources in the party quoted Mr. Kumaraswamy as telling party legislators that there would be new faces among the Ministers.

For the next 19 months of the coalition rule, the effort should be at exhibiting a show of strength by remaining united.

All the party legislators were given a chance to air their views during the five-hour meeting. Mr. Gowda was conspicuous by his absence.

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