K'taka CM in capital; talks on with BJP leadership

Prompted by the BJP high command to initiate conciliatory measures with the rebel faction led by the Reddy brothers, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa opened his channels of communications with the warring faction after his arrival here last night.

Mr Yeddyurappa had a meeting with Karnataka Assembly Speaker Jagadish Shettar, the chief ministerial candidate of the rebel faction, last night paving the way for talks with the defiant Reddy brothers.

Today Mr Yeddyurappa is having a breakfast meeting with senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, who has been handling the crisis ever since it came to the fore last month. He is also scheduled to have meetings with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani, BJP president Rajnath Singh and senior party leader Sushma Swaraj, who is held in high esteem by the rebel faction.

Sources close to the Karnataka Chief Minister said, ''The issue of leadership was a decided matter and Mr Yeddyurappa only has to address the grievances and concerns of the Reddy brothers, who were demanding a leadership change claiming the support of 60 of the 118 MLAs in the BJP Legislature Party.

Following is the party position in the Karnataka Assembly: BJP 124 (including six Independents) Speaker and a Nominated Member, Congress 73 and JD(S) 26.

The BJP has a slender majority in the 224-member House.

Mr Yeddyurappa will also have an official engagement with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the relief operations carried out by the state government in the recent flood-affected districts of Krishna river basin.

The Chief Minister will also invite Dr Singh regarding the foundation stone laying for the relocation of low-lying villages to a higher locale in the flood-affected districts in north Karnataka region.

-- (UNI) -- 05DI7.xml

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