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K’taka crisis deepens New Delhi, October 31 Senior party leaders have called the rebellious Reddy brothers - Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy and his elder brother and Revenue Minister G Karunakara Reddy - to the capital for a dialogue on “issues that need to be addressed.” The Reddys have been charging Yeddyurappa with authoritarianism and seeking his removal, with state legislative assembly speaker Jagdish Shettar as a replacement. Shettar is also accompanying the Reddys, mining barons from Bellary, to the capital, with the entire camp expected to land here late tonight. They will meet party president Rajnath Singh and leader LK Advani tomorrow. With the rebels exhibiting potential for damage (Reddys today claimed the support of 60 MLAs in the 117-member state assembly), the BJP leadership appears in a bind on how to strike peace between the warring factions. But there seems clarity on the point that certain issues need to be resolved. “After speaking at length to the CM, the Reddy brothers and the Speaker, we feel a solution is required in the framework of the party in the state. It is to discuss these very issues that the central leadership has called the Reddys and Jagdish Shettar to the capital. We are confident that a solution will emerge within the party framework,” senior BJP leader from Karnataka Ananth Kumar today told The Tribune.Earlier this week, BJP president Rajnath Singh had rushed Kumar (who was then in Bhopal) to Karnataka where party general secretary Arun Jaitley was already engaged in a damage control exercise. The exercise failed, with the scene now shifting to Delhi. As for the party, the last thing it can afford is the replacement of CM Yeddyurappa at a time when it has suffered electoral setbacks in three recent assembly elections. It would thus work to forge a compromise between the opposing factions, and buy some more time before a final decision emerges. Politically, too, any move to disturb the status quo in Karnataka would further undermine the BJP’s morale and image. Karnataka is after all the first southern state where it wrested power after immense struggle. Also, it would not be easy to dislodge Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat, who constitute the BJP’s core constituency in the state. Not to forget the RSS blessing which Yeddyurappa is known to enjoy. Given these facts, the BJP high command would ask the warring sides to call it a truce for the while, with Yeddyurappa today indicating the willingness to compromise on some fronts. The CM today referred to the Reddy brothers as his “senior colleagues” and said he would change his style of functioning if anyone has a problem. There are already reports that Yeddyurappa had offered Shettar the position of deputy Chief Minister - something the latter has so far rejected. Further discussions on the role of Reddys and Shettar will happen tomorrow in the capital, with the central leadership determined to avert the crisis. But how much of an influence will Rajnath Singh or Advani wield on the rebels remains to be seen, considering they are themselves struggling to retain their positions in the party.
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