Bangalore: Admitting that the recent crisis
in Karnataka following dissident activities has put BJP "to
shame", the party on Wednesday appeared to blame Chief Minister B S
Yeddyurappa for the turmoil, saying he needs to communicate
better.
"The crisis is not only unfortunate, it has put all of us
to shame also", senior party leader Sushma Swaraj told a press
conference here after meetings of the newly constituted
coordination committee and the legislature party.
"But it (the crisis) has been resolved fully. It has
withered away as a bad dream," said Swaraj, who along with
party senior leaders Arun Jaitley, M Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth
Kumar, attended the meetings.
Swaraj, who was one of the leaders involved in crisis
defusing exercise, said all through there was a feeling that
the party has emerged stronger after the crisis.
"We have learnt many lessons. The main lesson is...that
most of the problems....the root cause of most of the problems
is lack of dialogue. Chief Minister has to be more and more
communicative," she said.
"And more and more dialogue is to be established with the
party, with the organisation and with the Chief Minister,"
Swaraj said, adding, such a thing (the recent crisis) would
never be repeated.
"The Chief Minister assured on this count and then all
the other leaders assured of their support," she said.
Swaraj said it was decided that the coordination
committee should compulsorily meet once a month. "All the
major issues should be settled in this committee".
She expressed "regret" to the people of Karnataka for the
two-week-long crisis, triggered by the demand for change in
Yeddyurappa's leadership in the campaign led by Tourism
Minister Janardhana Reddy and his brother Revenue Minister
Karunakara Reddy, both mine owners from Bellary district.
"But since the crisis has been resolved, we will
compensate for lack of work during those two weeks by doing
more work.....by working overtime", Swaraj said.
The legislature party meeting was the first after the
central leadership worked out a compromise formula between the
Chief Minister and the rebels. Swaraj said the meeting
proceeded in a "very cordial and conducive atmosphere".
Besides the Chief Minister and party's state unit
President D V Sadananda Gowda, ministers Jagadish Shettar, K S
Eshwarappa, Karunakara Reddy, S Suresh Kumar, R Ashoka and
Govind Karjol also attended the meeting.
"And all spoke in a very, very positive tone. Chief
Minister reciprocated and he (Yeddyurappa) said all
apprehensions must be dispelled from this very meeting",
Swaraj said.
She said Jaitley, herself, Ananth Kumar, Venkaiah Naidu
were "very, very happy" to see the "scene" of the meeting.
"There was all positivity".
Implementing the compromise formula, Yeddyurappa had
shifted several top officials, made his confidante Shobha
Karandlaje to resign as Minister and inducted Jagadish
Shettar, who was the rallying point for dissidents, as
minister.
Meanwhile, sources close to the Bellary ministers, who
spearheaded the rebellion, said the dissidents are not happy
with the composition of the coordination panel.
When the compromise deal was struck in Delhi, it was
given to understand that Swaraj, who is considered close to
the Reddy brothers, would head the panel.
The committee is now chaired by Sadananda Gowda. The
dissidents were expecting an eight-member panel but it's a
14-member one now. The dissidents are also pushing for
dropping of Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai from the
committee.
Ministers loyal to Yeddyurappa dismissed suggestions that
the constitution of the panel amounts to putting a leash on
the Chief Minister.
Asked how the "miracle" happened overnight (that the
crisis was resolved), Swaraj said: "Miracle did not happen
overnight. It took 15 days".
On what advice the party gave to the dissidents as it
counselled to Yeddyurappa to communicate better, she said
"every thing has been settled in Delhi (when warring sides
were called for compromise)".
The advice (to the dissidents) was adhered to... paid
heed to, she said.
Swaraj expressed hope and belief that BJP would "emerge
stronger" in the coming elections to the Bruhat Bengaluru
Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) (city civic corporation), gram
panchayats and 25 seats in the Legislative Council.
Emerging from the Coordination Committee meeting, State
unit President D V Sadananda Gowda denied that there were
differences over the composition of the panel.
He ruled out reconstitution of the Committee and
expanding the 14-member team.
Sources said the Reddy brothers and their associate
Health Minister B Sreeramulu met Swaraj and expressed their
displeasure over the committee's composition.
Yeddyurappa also had separate consultations with Swaraj,
Naidu and Jaitley.
The leaders deputed by BJP Central leadership ensured
that the Legislature party meet passed off trouble-free.
Ministers who addressed the meeting called for working
together.
"Other than eight members of the legislature, none came
forward to speak," Swaraj said when asked whether others were
not allowed to express their views over the crisis that
gripped the government.
Bureau Report
First Published: Thursday, November 19, 2009, 00:32