M A I N   N E W S

Yeddy feels the heat, kin return plots
Tribune News Service & PTI

Bangalore/New Delhi, November 19
With Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa under mounting pressure over alleged land scams, his son, daughter and two relatives surrendered their plots, as BJP’s top brass today weighed the pros and cons of his continuance in the post.

Yeddyurappa will be meeting the BJP leadership after he was summoned to the Capital to explain his position following up on his face saving effort over the controversy on allocation of prime land to his family members. He is likely to reach Delhi late tonight.

Simultaneously, the BJP’s core group in Karnataka is preparing to hold a separate meeting in New Delhi with BJP president Nitin Gadkari to discuss the crisis facing the government.

“Whenever and wherever clinching evidence is there against our minister or Chief Minister, action will be certainly taken,” senior BJP leader SS Ahluwalia said in New Delhi.

Official sources in Bangalore said BY Raghavendra, MP, handed over a letter to the Bangalore Development Authority surrendering 50 X 80 feet site allotted to him in the upscale RMV Extension.

Yeddyurappa’s daughter Umadevi sought cancellation of two acres of industrial land alloted to her near Harohalli by the Karnataka Industrial Development Board, sources said.

Two relatives of Yeddyurappa, who had been allotted sites by BDA, also surrendered them, they said.

Not impressed by the step, HD Kumaraswamy, former Chief Minister and leader of the Opposition Janata Dal (Secular), said it was like a thief returning his loot in order to escape imprisonment. “Yeddyurappa must resign from the Chief Minister’s post following the revelations about his land scams”, demanded the JD(S) leader.

The embattled Congress, facing heat over the scams in the telecom sector and in the preparations for the Commonwealth Games, has also found the Karnataka issue a useful tool to corner the BJP.

Yesterday, the state Cabinet ordered a judicial probe into allotment of land in the last 10 years that also covers the rule of External Affairs Minister S M Krishna as Chief Minister and Dharam Singh (Cong) and HD Kumaraswamy of the JDS. In a politically significant move, Yeddyurappa announced in Hubli that the judicial probe would now cover the last 16 years, apparently seeking to target former CM HD Deve Gowda.

The inquiry would now include denotification of lands by Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and Bangalore Development Authority from 1994 till date, Yeddyurappa told reporters.

While there is speculation that Yeddyurappa may be asked to go, the BJP top brass is said to be weighing all the pros and cons before taking a decision.

One option being explored is replacing Yeddyurappa with another Lingayat leader Jagdish Shettar. A faction of the party led by senior leader Ananth Kumar is also reportedly gunning for him. Meanwhile, Shettar, who is a Panchayati Raj Minister and seen in some quarters as one who may be considered by the BJP bosses for the post of Chief Minister, has got embroiled in a controversy. It has come to light that Shettar’s brother Prakash was allotted a plot in Bangalore out of turn.

Cabinet ministers K Subramanium Naidu and R Ashok and Shobha Karandlaje (the only woman minister in Karnataka and who also shares a close rapport with the Chief Minister) are the other colleagues of Yeddyurappa whose names have figured in connection with land scams.

While the fresh controversy related to Shettar will help Yeddyurappa protect his chair, charges levelled against Naidu, Ashok and Karandlaje has enhanced his trouble.