Yeddyurappa may meet rebels in Delhi Thursday

Bangalore, Nov 4 : An end to the Karnataka leadership tussle seemed in sight with Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa indicating he may meet the dissidents, pressing for his ouster, in New Delhi Thursday in the presence of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj.

"There is a possibility of me meeting them (the rebels) in the presence of Sushma Swaraj in Delhi tomorrow (Thursday)," Yeddyurappa told reporters Wednesday before flying to Hubli, around 420 km from Bangalore.

The chief minister said he was hopeful of an end to the crisis in a day or two.

The BJP leadership has been holding hectic deliberations in New Delhi with both factions over the past three days to end their differences that are threatening to bring down the party's first government in the south. Yeddyurappa will reach Delhi late Wednesday from Hubli to meet party central leaders.

The dissidents led by the Reddy brothers - Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy and his elder brother and Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy - are lobbying to remove Yeddyurappa.

State Governor H.R. Bharadwaj is also in Delhi. He told reporters he was on a private visit, but keeping a watch on the political developments.

The Reddy brothers, rich iron ore mine owners from Bellary, about 400 km from Bangalore, want Yeddyurappa out because they feel sidelined in both the party and government affairs inspite of using their financial clout to help the party to come to power.

Sushma Swaraj has been roped in by the BJP to help end the turmoil as she is considered close to the Reddy brothers.

In the May 2008 polls, the BJP won 110 of the 224 elected seats in the 225-member assembly. It formed the government with the help of six Independents, five of whom have been rewarded with ministership. The Reddys are believed to have won over the Independents.

Later, the Reddys also lured more than half a dozen Congress and Janata Dal-Secular legislators to join the BJP.

The Reddys have rejected an appeal by party president Rajnath Singh and senior leader L.K. Advani to retain Yeddyurappa as chief minister as a compromise to conceding most their other demands.

These include sacking of ministers considered close to Yeddyurappa, shunting out some senior officials in the chief minister's secretariat, prominent role to the Reddys and their supporters in the party and government, withdrawal of Rs.1,000 toll on every truck carrying iron ore, and dropping of a kidnap case against the third Reddy sibling, G. Somashekara, a legislator.

The crisis erupted Oct 26 and senior leader Arun Jaitley arrived in Bangalore Oct 28 for a patch-up bid. He failed and returned to Delhi Oct 30. Since then Delhi has been the scene of parleys between the BJP central leaders and the rebels and Yeddyurappa's representatives.

--IANS