Bangarappa faults BJP govt's ''mismanagement''

Mysore, July 2 (UNI) Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party State President S Bangarappa today held the ''mismanagement'' of the BJP government in the state responsible for the farmers' crisis, including fertiliser shortage.

Addressing mediapersons here, he said even though the Union government had supplied the required amount of fertilisers, the State government had failed to distribute it in time to the farmers.

Consequently, a number of farmers committed suicides, he claimed.

''Why has the government not taken serious note of the fertiliser shortage and raided a single business establishment which has illegally hoarded fertilisers,'' he asked.

Welcoming the Opposition parties' decision to boycott the all- party delegation to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said the Opposition stand was right.

Referring to free power supply to farmers' irrigation pumpsets, Mr Bangarappa said Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Energy Minister K S Eshwarappa have changed their stand on the supply and were trying to impose restrictions by fixing metres for pumpsets.

The free power supply scheme announced by them was only gimmicks ahead of the election, he added.

He alleged that the BJP government had been trying to purchase legislators of other parties, particularly from the Congress, to make them resign and contest again from the BJP ticket to make the government more stable.

UNI BSP GD SKB BD1652