Bangalore , Sunday, August 01, 2010 : The 10-month-old truce between Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and the Bellary brothers came to a pause on Saturday with the mining barons raising a banner of revolt.
As Yeddyurappa appeared to be making use of the heat generated over the illegal mining issue to end the Reddys’ dominance in the State government, the mining lords are reportedly gearing up for a do-or-die battle against the chief minister. Their grudge is also against the opposition Congress, which has taken out the Bangalore-Bellary padayatra.
According to sources, the Reddys are planning to stage a coup against Yeddyurappa, similar to the one they did some months ago. They are finalising plans to unite all anti-Yeddyurappa forces in the BJP. But it is not clear how they will muster the support of the party MLAs. “Like-minded” legislators led by Excise Minister M P Renukacharya, who supported the Reddys during their revolt in October 2009, have now switched sides.
To take on the Congress over its “padayatra,” the Bellary trio are reportedly planning to go the way of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.
Their plan is to ask Bellary city MLA Somashekara Reddy to quit and face byelections. By this, the Reddys would prove that they enjoyed the confidence of the people of Bellary and consolidate their position in the party, sources said.
The plan may be a reason why Janardhana Reddy on Saturday dared Congress’s Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar to contest byelections from Bellary city. “If you have guts, face the bypoll. I will bow to the verdict of people,” he had stated.
According to sources, Reddys and all their supporting MLAs are ready to resign en masse and test their electoral luck.
Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy, who arrived in Bangalore on Friday, is said to have held a detailed discussion with his advisers on the political developments in the State. Reddys were advised to maintain a low-profile for the time being, till the Congress completed its padayatra, sources said.
Reddys are upset with Yeddyurappa for not defending them over the illegal mining issue. They could take it no more when the chief minister decided to ban iron ore export and stop issuing permits to transport ore for export, sources said.
Differences between Yeddyurappa and the Reddys came to the fore when the CM disapproved of the Bellary brother’s Swabhimani Samavesha to counter the Congress padayatra.
Reddy likely to meet Governor
Janardhana Reddy is likely to the meet the Governor H R Bharadwaj either on Monday or on Tuesday to clear all doubts about the illegal mining issue.
Reddy was likely to ask the Governor to take steps to change all the officials in Bellary district whom he suspected would suppress facts about illegal mining, sources said.
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