Upset over the cabinet reshuffle plan, legislators threaten to stage a stir
Upset over the cabinet reshuffle plan, legislators threaten to stage a stir
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This was indeed a day of dramatic events. Political turbulence triggered by the proposed cabinet reshuffle went to the extent of a looming threat to topple the Yeddyurappa government, with former Union Minister and present MP from Bangalore (South), H N Ananth Kumar allegedly indulging in hatching a coup in Delhi, while the CM was busy with his counter move in Bangalore, until late night yesterday.
A widespread displeasure among party legislators over Yeddyurappa's unprecedented move, came as a great help for Kumar.
While Chief Minister Yeddyurappa was busy planning his counter move while former Union Minister H N Ananth Kumar was allegedly discussing his aspirations with senior BJP leaders in New Delhi.
Sports minister Goolihatti Shekar, who supported the government as an independent, has threatened to commit suicide in case he is removed from the cabinet, while Sagar MLA Belur Gopala Krishna has said 20 MLAs will resign if he was not given a ministerial berth.
Expressing his solidarity to minister Shivana Gouda Patil, who is rumoured to be dropped, Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy has said he will protect the ministers who had come from other parties, who helped form the government.
Basavanabagevadi MLA
S K Bellubbi resigned as chairman of a corporation to show his inclination to make a comeback to the cabinet.
In a tight spot
"The situation seems to be critical and I can't rule out serious repercussions if the CM presses for the reshuffle," said a senior leader in the BJP.
Kumar did not shy away from letting his aspirations known to the BJP national leaders when he met them in Delhi.
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He had parleys with the party national president Nitin Gadkari, in-charge of Karnataka affairs Shantha Kumar, and senior leader M Venkiah Naidu, at Gadkari's residence till late night.
"Such an unprecedented development has put the high command in a tight spot to decide on the issue with the party had to face the panchayat polls and they are weighing options carefully," said a source.
Gadkari is understood to have told Yeddyurappa that the reshuffle would be on his own peril, so the CM rushed back to Bangalore to calm down the situation so that he could convince the high command over conduciveness of the atmosphere, following which Kumar landed at Delhi.
In the meanwhile, putting on a brave face, the CM has fixed the time for the oath-taking ceremony for the new ministers at 9.30 am tomorrow, while there was no clarity on the final list until late night on Monday.
"The high command has not given the green signal to the list," said Yeddyuarappa. "I hope it will be finalised today."
It is speculated that the CM is ready with a list of six legislators including Shobha Karandlaje, V Somanna,
C H Vijayashankar, A Narayanaswamy, C C Patil, and S A Ramdas, while there are rumours that he may dropu00a0 Aravind Limbavali, Goolihatti Shekar, Shivana Goud Patil, and Mumtaz Ali Khan from the cabinet.
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