K'taka: Govt-Guv stand-off on Assembly session intensifies

Bangalore, May 19: The stand-off between Governor H R Bhardwaj and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on convening of the Legislature session from June 2 took another turn today (May 19) with the BJP government threatening a state-wide stir if approval for holding it was not given by this evening.

"By this evening, news should reach me (from Raj Bhavan) that approval has been given for the (legislature) session", a visibly upset Chief Minister said.

Otherwise, he said, he would embark on a state-wide tour in an open-jeep addressing road-side rallies to build public opinion from Friday (May 20).

Yeddyurappa's ultimatum comes a day after both he and Bhardwaj displayed brief bonhomie in the midst of a raging political war over the Governor's recommendation for imposing President's rule in the state.

Law Minister S Suresh Kumar, flanked by several Ministers, said a massive protest rally, led by the Chief Minister himself, would be staged in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue here tomorrow if the Governor did not give his approval by this evening for holding the session.

Key office-bearers and Ministers would decide on the future agitational course after Friday's rally, which would be attended by legislators, partymen and members of the public, Suresh Kumar and Home Minister R Ashoka said.

Suresh Kumar said there was a suggestion that the Chief Minister should conduct a state-wide tour to elicit public opinion from day after tomorrow (Sunday, May 21).

A Ministerial delegation, led by Yeddyurappa, had met the Governor yesterday and requested him to convene the session to pass the full budget, to which Bhardwaj had told them that he was awaiting the Centre's decision on his recommendation to impose President's rule.

The Governor had asked the Chief Minister to wait for a "day or two" on the issue of his approval for the session.

PTI