Bharatiya Janata Party State president B.S. Yeddyurappa appears to be keen on overshadowing Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s Grama Vaastavya (village stay) programme scheduled to commence from Gurmitkal on June 21. The BJP leader too has decided to tour Gurmitkal ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit, on Sunday, to study the drought situation in the area.
A decision to this effect was taken at the BJP’s legislature party meeting in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Mr. Yeddyurappa would embark on a drought study tour to northern areas from June 7 to 9 during which he would also visit Gurmitkal. Before the meeting, Mr. Yeddyurappa criticised Mr. Kumaraswamy for his proposed village stay and said he should first tour the drought-hit areas.
During his first stint as the Chief Minister between February 2006 and October 2007, Mr. Kumaraswamy had initiated Grama Vaastavya, which had become quite popular. With the Lok Sabha debacle, he has decided to restart the programme in an effort to connect with the people.
Jindal issue
Briefing reporters after the meeting, BJP State general secretary Aravind Limbavali said the BJP would launch a campaign against the coalition government on three issues, including the alleged failure to handle drought, selling of land to JSW, and alleged failure to take up rehabilitation in flood-hit Kodagu district.
All the party MPs and legislators from the State would stage a three-day protest in Bengaluru from June 13 under the leadership of Mr. Yeddyurappa, demanding that the government withdraw the decision to sell 3,666 acres of land to JSW Steel in Sandur, he said. The protest would also highlight the alleged discrimination in granting funds for development to constituencies represented by BJP MLAs, he said.
