IndiaPost.com - Karnataka row over transfer of power

BANGALORE: Amid confusion over the October 3 transfer of power in Karnataka, BJP leader B S Yediyurappa said he hoped Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy would "reciprocate" the saffron party's gesture of supporting him for the past 20 months.

"In the last 20 months me and my party have extended fullest cooperation to Kumaraswamy. I hope the same gesture would be shown to me in the coming 20 months," Deputy Chief Minister Yediyurappa told PTI over phone from Mudakathore in Mandya district, where he had gone to visit a temple.

A day after JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda called off parleys with BJP on power transfer, Yediyurappa said, "I am optimistic that Kumaraswamy will keep up his promise." He said in the last 20 months both the coalition partners have done well to provide "good governance" to the people of the state and the credit should be shared equally.

The Central BJP leadership has decided to depute a senior leader to mollify JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda in the backdrop of relations between the coalition partners in Karnataka souring over the power transfer issue.

The BJP will depute its Vice President Yashwant Sinha, who is in charge of party affairs in Karnataka or senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu this evening, party sources told PTI here.

The leader coming here will meet Gowda, whose feathers have been ruffled in the wake of allegations by Bellary unit BJP leaders and a criminal complaint filed by tourism minister Sriramulu, accusing Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy of plotting his murder, the sources said.

Before holding talks with Gowda, the leader will also have consultations with party leaders, including state unit president D V Sadananda Gowda and Deputy Chief Minister Yediyurappa and others.

"I will meet Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy on September 30 if need be and discuss with them," he said. Gowda, obviously pouring out his anger over Tourism Minister Sriramulu for filing a criminal complaint against his chief minister son, wanted BJP to find a solution to the row, prior to resuming consultations on power transfer.