The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Arun Jaitley calls on Governor

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Karnataka - Bangalore

Arun Jaitley calls on Governor

Special Correspondent

BJP core committee reviews current political, legal situation

Detailed deliberations on disqualification of its MLAs and independents
The cases are coming up for hearing on January 4 and 10

Damage control:Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley, party president K.S. Eshwarappa and H.N. Ananth Kumar, MP, arriving at the core committee meeting in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: With the B.S. Yeddyurappa Government mired in several problems — such as land scam allegations against the Chief Minister's family members and Governor H.R. Bhardwaj training his guns on the Government — Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader Arun Jaitley took up a trouble-shooting exercise on Thursday. He also took stock of the political situation.

Mr. Jaitley, who held two rounds of meetings since Wednesday night with the core committee, comprising party State unit leaders, also met the Governor on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, Mr. Yeddyurappa will call on the Governor on Friday.

The core committee is learnt to have focussed on analysing the political and legal situation — including the implication of allegations being made by the Opposition parties against the Government — to prepare its strategy.

The core committee had detailed deliberations on the disqualification of its MLAs and independents as the cases are coming up for hearing on January 4 and 10. The different possibilities of verdict and its likely impact on the Government were also discussed at the meeting.

Cabinet expansion

According to sources, the core committee has decided to wait for the outcome of the proceedings on the disqualification cases before taking up the Cabinet expansion. The expansion could take place in the second half of January.

The meeting broadly outlined the party strategy to be adopted at the ensuing legislature session where it expects to face an onslaught from the Opposition . It is the first time that the session is being held after such allegations were made.

Polls

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Jaitley said the party was ready for a detailed debate during the legislature session on the allegations being levelled by the Opposition.

He appealed to the Opposition parties to accept the BJP's invitation on this.

Expressing confidence that the party would fare well in the elections to zilla and taluk panchayats, Mr. Jaitley said the core committee would meet again after the results to analyse the party's performance.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, party national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Dharmendra Pradhan, national general secretary H.N. Ananth Kumar and State president K.S. Eshwarappa were among those who participated in the core committee meeting.

Meanwhile, party State president K.S. Eshwarappa told reporters that the party was yet to give a clean chit to the Bellary Ministers on the alleged income tax evasion issue.

The party would decide its stand after getting the final report from the Income Tax Department.

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