Southern States - Karnataka   

Sankeshwar launches 'Kannada Nadu'

By Our Special Correspondent

HUBLI June 19. Vijay Sankeshwar, who recently resigned from the BJP and his Dharwad North Lok Sabha seat, today launched his regional party, "Kannada Nadu". Mr. Sankeshwar announced here today the first list of office-bearers of the party with Ratnapal Shetty as the president, Mallesh Budihal, and K.S. Umesh from Bangalore as vice-president and secretary, respectively and Bharat Khimji of Hubli as treasurer.

For technical reasons, Mr. Sankeshwar is not part of the new party. Ratnapal Shetty, his friend, will be the president till Mr. Sankeshwar takes over.

Mr. Sankeshwar, whose resignation from the party and his Lok Sabha seat is yet to be accepted, is not among 125 persons who have signed an application seeking the recognition of the party from the Election Commission, as per the rules. A declaration is essential before the Election Commission that the applicant is not attached to any political party and Mr. Sankeshwar says he is not technically unattached since his resignation has not been accepted as such.

Mr. Sankeshwar told presspersons that the Lok Sabha Secretariat had contacted him on his resignation letter and was waiting for the Speaker to act on it. He cited the constitution of the BJP to say that the acceptance of resignation by the Speaker was as good as resigning from the party. Asked why he announced the name of the party without waiting for his name to be technically cleared, Mr. Sankeshwar said he did it to clear the confusion. He alleged that the BJP was deliberately delaying accepting his resignation from the party.

Mr. Sankeshwar described the Union Urban Development Minister, Ananth Kumar, as a "private limited company" to which the BJP affairs in the State had been mortgaged by the national leadership. The presidents of the party units in Karnataka were only "caretakers".

Mr. Sankeshwar said that B.S. Yediyurappa, former president of the BJP State unit, had dinner with him during the latter's visit to Hubli but it was only a courtesy call.

Mr. Sankeshwar said he was floating the party not to spite anybody or decimate any party as had been unsuccessfully attempted by S. Bangarappa, late Devaraj Urs, and the late K.H. Patil, but to safeguard the interest of Karnataka. It was the Congress, which got jittery over the new party being formed since it had everything to lose.

Mr. Sankeshwar said that simmering discontent among the people about the "misrule" of the Congress was the capital, which his party would bank upon and through its efficiency it would like to consolidate its position. Mr. Sankeshwar said the Minister for Urban Development, D.K. Shivakumar, had been trying to contact him and had expressed desire that Mr. Sankeshwar and the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, should have a one-to-one meeting. But he had declined.

About the impact of his new venture on his business activities (he runs a premier road transport organisation, tour operating outfit, and a daily each in Kannada and English), Mr. Sankeshwar said he was confident of devoting equal attention to both. "They are my two eyes. I cannot afford to ignore any one of them," he said.

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