Seat-sharing arrangement issue with JD(S) will be resolved amicably, says BY Vijayendra
Bengaluru (PTI): With JD(S) indicating its unhappiness over the seat sharing issue for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Tuesday said he has spoken to its leadership after consulting his party's high command, and expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved amicably.
He said BJP and JD(S) leadership are discussing "everything and there will be a happy ending."
"Last night I had a telephonic discussion with our national leaders, after that I spoke to former Prime Minister (H D Deve Gowda over phone, and have also shared information with H D Kumaraswamy this morning," Vijayendra said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said he is confident that everything will be fine, and the national leadership will make a decision that is satisfactory to the JD(S).
Indicating that JD(S) is unhappy over the seat sharing issue, its state President H D Kumaraswamy on Monday said he has faith that the regional party will get three to four seats, amid reports that the saffron party may cede it only two.
The former Chief Minister also said his party leaders have asked him to communicate to the BJP leadership about the need to treat the JD(S) "respectfully" and make them understand its strength in at least 18 Lok Sabha segments.
On whether JD(S) will contest in three seats, Vijayendra said the issue is still under discussion. "How can I say anything?"
"If there are any minor issues, for everything there will be a happy ending, and BJP-JD(S)' NDA alliance will continue successfully," he said.
JD(S) joined the NDA last September and has forged an electoral alliance with the BJP.
The regional party is expected to contest in three seats - Mandya, Hassan and Kolar - and as per agreement between both parties, noted cardiac surgeon, and Deve Gowda's son-in-law Dr C N Manjunath has been fielded from Bangalore Rural on a BJP ticket.
However, according to recent reports, BJP is not ready to cede Kolar seat to JD(S), which has irked the regional outfit.
On Congress sending feelers to BJP leader and former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, Vijayendra said, he is confident that everything will be fine and there is no question of him crossing over and he will remain in BJP.
Gowda is upset over being denied ticket to recontest from Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat.
Asked about senior party leader K S Eshwarappa who has raised a banner of rebellion and is contesting as an independent from Shimoga Lok Sabha seat, Vijayendra said, "he is a senior leader, certain wrong information has gone to him and he is reacting to it, and I'm confident that everything will be fine, once he understands the truth."
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Notices issued to Himachal conductor, driver for anti-Rahul Gandhi audio clip playing in govt bus
Shimla, Nov 30: After finding itself in soup over a CID enquiry on "missing samosas", the Himachal Pradesh government is again in a tight spot for issuing notices to a state roadways conductor and driver after an audio clip with defamatory remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was allegedly played in their bus.
A man in his complaint to the Chief Minister's Office said defamatory words were used against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and other leaders in an audio clip which was played in the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus plying between Shimla and Sanjauli on November 5.
In a letter to the conductor and driver of the bus on November 25, the HRTC sought explanation from them. The letter went viral on the internet.
Talking to reporters on Friday, HRTC Managing Director Rohan Chand Thakur said a routine complaint was received from a customer after which a fact finding enquiry was initiated. The enquiry was closed as the allegations were found baseless.
However, the wording of the explanation sought could have been better and the officers have been verbally conveyed to improve in the coming times, he added.
The defamatory words were allegedly used in a debate being played in the audio clip.
Reacting sharply to the letter, BJP MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma, said the government should appoint marshals to stop audios being played in buses.
"Such decisions of the government are damaging the reputation of the state government as well as the state," he added.
Earlier, the state CID department had ordered an internal enquiry on the samosas which were brought for Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during a function and by mistake were served to the his security staff. A senior police official had termed the faux pas as an anti-CID and ant-Government act.
