Karnataka woman minister says ready to quit to save government

Bangalore, Nov 5 : Shobha Karandlaje, the lone woman minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka, the party's first ever in the south, Thursday said she was ready to quit if it saves the Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa-led ministry.

The BJP central leadership is understood to have proposed dropping Karandlaje, considered close to the chief minister, from the ministry as part of a compromise to the dissidents who are pressing for removal of Yeddyurappa himself.

"I am ready, if it saves the government. But no one has asked me," the 44-year-old Karandlaje, who is the rural development and panchayat raj minister, told IANS here.

She has been the target of dissidents led by Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy and his elder brother and Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy, for her alleged interference in the functioning of all ministries.

Dissidents claim she behaves like a second chief minister, a charge she has been vehemently denying and has challenged the rebels to prove her interference.

"This 'shadyantra' (conspiracy) has been on for long. Let them prove I have been interfering in other ministries," she has been maintaining ever since the present crisis began 11 days ago.

Asked whether Yeddyurappa or any BJP central leader had called her to inform that she would be dropped as part of the compromise, Karandlage said: "No one has called me. I do not know of the developments in Delhi."

On whether her removal from the ministry would not be a setback to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of which she is member, Karandlaje said: "Please excuse me. I would not like to answer any questions."

The Reddy brothers joined the BJP only in 1999. They are now billionaire iron ore mine owners. Prior to becoming mining magnates, they were running a non-banking financial company in Bellary, the iron ore rich district about 400 km from Bangalore.

Karandlaje rose in BJP ranks after being active in the RSS and the party's student wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

She was general secretary of the Karnataka BJP and was elected to legislative council for the first in 2004. She won the May 2008 assembly elections from Bangalore and was made a minister.

The Reddy brothers have been gunning not only for Karandlaje but also for Home Minister V.S. Acharya and Yeddyurappa's principal secretary V.P. Baligar.

Baligar is likely to be shifted as part of the compromise formula proposed to the rebels.