K'taka: BSY to crack Shettar camp through horse trading

Bangalore, Aug 6: Even after electing new Chief Minister for Karnataka through a secret ballot, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing more hurdles to form its Cabinet as the two fractions led by former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and former minister Jagadish Shettar raised demands over the cabinet birth.

According to sources, BSY, who resigned after the Lokayukta report on illegal mining, is trying to break the rival camp led by Jagadish Shettar, who failed to DV Sadananda Gowda for chief minister post, and BJP national general secretary HN Ananthkumar.

Yeddyurappa camp wants to defect the camp and there by reduce the bargaining power in the Cabinet formation. The faction led by Jagadish Shettar demanded 50 percent of the Cabinet post and some of the key minister posts. After contacting with some of the MLAs in Shettar camp, sources from BSY camp said that nearly 20 MLAs are in favour to support BSY camp.

After electing DV Sadananda Gowda as the new CM, BJP witnessed more cracks among the party MLAs. Though national leaders and observers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Venkayya Naidu tried to convince both camps, leaders and MLAs in Jagadish Shettar camp boycotted Sadananda Gowda's swearing-in ceremony.

Currently, Jagadish Shettar camp has about 50 MLAs support and they are demanding an equal share in the Cabinet along with key portfolios like Energy, Transport, Public Works Department and Finance. Moreover, this camp also asked Yeddyurappa's close aides like V Sommanna, MP Renukacharya, Murugesh Nirani and Basavaraj Bommai be kept out of the new Cabinet.

With BJP high command's decision to solve the issue through talks, rumours and speculations on horse trading have started doing the rounds. Political analysts in the state claim that nearly Rs 5 crore have been offered to MLAs of both camps.

OneIndia News