Even as some hope emerged in the BJP to rope in former Chief Minister and KJP president BS Yeddyurappa to its fold, a group of KJP MlAs have opposed any move to merge the Karnataka Janata Party with the BJP.
Even though it is seen as a growing rebellion, political pundits are questioning Yeddyurappa’s strength in keeping his flock together. However, in a quick rebuttal lingayat strongman who is jointly campaigning with JD(S) chief Kumaraswamy along with the BJP for the JD(S) candidates for the lok Sabha bypolls in Mandya and Bangalore Rural, said there was no question of merger of the KJP with the BJP.
According to sources in the KJP, three MlAs out of six MlAs in the Karnataka legislative Assembly have opposed Yeddyurappa’s move to merge KJP with the BJP. A close confidant of Yeddyurappa told The Pioneer the three KJP MlAs — BR Patil, Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli and Guru Patil — all of them powerful lingayat leaders from Hyderabad-Karnataka region have opposed Yeddyurappa’s move to merge the KJP with the BJP.
In fact, all these MlAs have quit the Congress and joined the KJP in search of shelter and won the elections. However, source confirmed that there were talks of convincing them has begun by a powerful lingayat seer to work out a formula to unite the Opposition against the Congress.
BR Patil, a respected leader from the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, who was with the Janata Parivar and the Congress said he can’t accept the BJP. He said, “I am not aware of any such move by Yeddyurappa but ideologically I can’t accept the BJP.” Patil who is on good terms with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is believed to have told Yeddyurappa not to merge the party with the BJP.
Asked what he would do if the KJP merged with the BJP, he said he would technically continue as an Independent MlA. “But I am not sure whether a merger will take place because some of us are against it.”
A Congress leader told The Pioneer that in such a case the party would welcome all the three MlAs to its fold. Sources said that a senior Congress leader from Gulbarga is keen on getting BR Patil and Nagamarapalli into the party fold, keeping the 2014 lok Sabha elections in mind.
Sources in the KJP said that in case Yeddyurappa decides to return to the BJP and if the merger happens, all its MlAs would become part of the BJP. In case some of them resist this, they may face suspension, but will retain their membership of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wants to take a decision on illegal mining report submitted by lokayukta in 2011. He said he will decide soon whether the lokayukta report on the matter should be referred to the CBI or constitute a special court to try the accused named in it.
Former lokayukta Justice Santosh N Hegde had submitted a 466-page report on illegal mining to Governor HR Bhardwaj on July 27, 2011. Former CMs BS Yeddyurappa and HD Kumaraswamy, Reddy brothers of Bellary, Congress MlA Anil H lad and BJP MlA Anand Singh have been indicted in the report. Following the report, Yeddyurappa was asked to step down as Chief Minister by the BJP higher-ups in July 2011.