Jagadish Shettar sacks Yeddyurappa loyalist Puttaswamy

Bangalore, Dec 8:

Chief Minister

today sacked Cooperative Minister BJ Puttaswamy, a staunch supporter of BS Yeddyurappa, for involving in anti-party activities.

"As a disciplinary measure, Puttaswamy has been dropped from the cabinet. He participated in so many meetings of the new party and campaigned for the new party," the chief minister told reporters in New Delhi.

Shettar was referring to the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) that will be launched by Yeddyurappa tomorrow. A massive rally is to be taken out through the town of Haveri to highlight KJP's formation.

The CM said that he had "already sent the letter to the Governor to drop him (Puttuswamy) from the cabinet."

State BJP chief KS Eshwarappa simultaneously announced the suspension of another Yeddyurappa loyalist GS Basavaraj from the party on the same grounds.

"In Karnataka, we are giving importance to discipline. One Lok Sabha member from Tumkur, Basavaraj... he is violating the party discipline. We all the core leaders from Karnataka sat with the national leaders and we have taken the decision to suspend Basavaraj," Easwarappa said.

Show cause notice has been issued to both Puttaswamy and Basavaraj. Eshwarappa said that the party will try to ensure that Basavaraj, who represents Tumkur constituency in the Lok Sabha, is immediately disqualified.

Yesterday, seven ministers had attended a breakfast meeting hosted by Yeddyurappa, who quit BJP recently, in solidarity with him.

Ministers CM Udasi, Murugesh Nirani, MP Renukacharya, V Somanna, BJ Puttaswamy, Shobha Karandlaje and Umesh Katti and 23 legislators were present at the meeting held at Belgaum.

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