Karnataka power drama shifts to Goa
The power drama in Karnataka shifted stage to Goa as a veritable “tug of war” started on Friday between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) after the rebel MLAs took shelter in a hotel here in the night on Thursday.
Beleaguered Karanataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, facing trial of strength in the assembly before October 12, his emmissary and Tourism Minister Janardhan Reddy besides JD-S President HD Kumaraswamy were firefighting to guard the MLAs.
Kumaraswamy was heckled outside the hotel by BJP workers when he reached there.
Goa Leader of Opposition Manohar Parrikar also rushed into the hotel close to midnight along with supporters, breaking security barricades, to hold discussions with the Karnataka BJP legislators.
“I will be meeting them (dissidents). There are some issues which would be discussed and settled,” Parrikar said.
He said the BJP leaders would hold talks with dissident legislators here to defuse the crisis.
” They have some problems but those are nothing against the party. They are ready to talk to a few people,” Parrikar said.
He also asked why Kumaraswamy was here.”The Congress has been trying to woo them with all possible means,” the former Goa Chief Minister alleged.
Several Congress Ministers were also at the hotel even though the Congress had said the rebellion was an internal matter of the BJP.
“It’s like they have kidnapped our MLAs, they are not letting us talk to them,” said Janardhana Reddy.
The events were happening at Taj Exotica Resort at Benaulim, which has turned into a fortress since Thursday night, with tight security around after 15 legislators, including nine from BJP, checked in.
The BJP’s strength in the Karnataka assembly was reduced to 104 from 123 after 19 lawmakers, 14 BJP MLAs and five independents, submitted letters to Governor H R Bhardwaj withdrawing support to Yeddyurappa on Wednesday.
