'Issues in K'taka unit to be settled in a month'

New Delhi, Aug 26: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader B S Yediyurappa today expressed confidence that all issues in the state unit will be settled in a month and said the central leadership has taken strong view of indiscipline.

While talking to newspersons after meeting Leader of Opposition L K Advani, the Deputy Chief Minister said the fact that all the ministers had met the central leadership as an entity showed that there were no differences. ''We have ensured that the party leaders in Karnataka not do anything which might bring discredit to the Central leadership,'' he said.

Asked about the indiscipline in the state unit, he said the problem involved a few individuals. The party had suspended its MLC Janardhana Reddy and even this would not have happened if he had taken the party into confidence. ''If the legislator has had any doubts he could have taken it up with the central leaders, but he chose to tow his own line and the tapes he had revealed only proved that there was no evidence to substantiate his allegations against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy,'' he said.

He said things would be ''alright'' and the party wanted to take everyone along but no indiscipline will be tolerated and the party cannot allow its image to suffer on account of some irresponsible actions by some of its members.

Mr Yediyurappa said the BJP was sincere regarding the BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition in the state and the chemistry between the two had worked well in the last six months. The decision making between the two coaltion partners was smooth which was evident from the fact that the process of apportioning the chairmanships of various Boards and Corporations was through in one and a half hour, he said.

He said the review of performance of the BJP ministers by senior party leaders Venkaiah Naidu and Anant Kumar recently had gone down ''very well'' and he and his colleagues benefited by the experience of the two leaders.

The Deputy Chief Minister, who is also the state Finance Minister, said the various welfare measures undertaken by the state government were received well by the people. Loans to farmers, weavers and fishermen at four per cent interest by the revenue-starved state had won the appreciation of all sections of society, he added.

He said the BJP leaders will take up the issue of discrimination against Karnataka by the Centre in providing funds for flood relief.

He said the issue of release of an unprecedented quantum of water from Koyna dam in Maharashtra causing flood situation in five disticts of Karnataka will also be taken up.

Mr Yediyurappa, accompanied by Karnataka BJP chief Sadananda Gowda, met party General Secretary Sanjay Joshi and apprised him of the political state of affairs in the state.

UNI