KARNATAKA POLITICS: Loyalists seethe, turncoats take cake!

For LEED Consultancy / IGBC Certifications, Green Building Design, Green Homes, Green Factory Buildings, Green SEZs, Green Townships & Energy Audits - www.greentekindika.com

Anil Gejji, Express News Service / Last Updated : 12 Aug 2011 10:26:06 AM IST.

BANGALORE: In the first-ever BJP government in the south, it is the “outsiders” who are reaping rich dividends whereas the “aborigines” who worked hard to build the party over the years are being shooed away from power.

The Thursday’s Cabinet expansion was a telling example of this fact. While turncoats Balachandra Jarkiholi, Anand Asnotikar, Raju Gowda—earlier all JD(S) MLAs—C P Yogeshwar (a Congress MLA), who were all part of the Operation Lotus, and Varthur Prakash, an independent MLA who supported the government in its hour of need when BJP MLAs rebelled against the then chief minister, were inducted in the Cabinet.

Yeddyurappa had promised Prakash a Cabinet berth then. Prakash was one of the six independent MLAs who supported the minority Yeddyurappa government, which was short of the three seats, to get a simple majority (113) in the 225-member House. After being denied the ministerial berth by Yeddyurappa, he turned hostile to the BJP government and went around the state accusing the BJP government of being the most corrupt in the country. Jarkiholi, Asnotikar and Gowda were among the group of legislators who revolted against Yeddyurappa and almost threatened to throw the government out of power in October 2010.

Though Gowda later returned to the BJP fold after allegedly being promised a Cabinet berth by Yeddyurappa, Jarkiholi and Asnotikar, along with 14 other MLAs, were disqualified by Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah. They returned to the party fold again after the Supreme Court quashed the Speaker’s decision.

When Yeddyurappa was forced to exit following an indictment by the Lokayukta report, Asnotikar, Jarkiholi and Prakash identified with party general secretary H N Ananth Kumar and now got Cabinet berths under their group quota—both Yeddyurappa and Kumar groups have agreed to equally share the 35 Cabinet berths.   

Full Story at,

http://expressbuzz.com/states/karnataka/karnataka-loyalists-seethe-turncoats-take-cake/303457.html#.TkSXEzGg6Yw.twitter

NEW KARNATAKA CABINET: Karnataka gets 21 ministers, no Reddy Brothers!

For LEED / IGBC Certifications, Consultancy, Green Building Design, Green Homes, Green Factory Buildings, Green SEZs, Green Townships & Energy Audits - www.greentekindika.com

Maya Sharma, Updated: August 08, 2011 18:26 IST.

Bangalore:  It was raining the day BS Yeddyurappa walked to the Karnataka Raj Bhawan to submit his resignation. That set in motion fast-paced political developments, drama and dissidence that culminated in the swearing in of 21 Cabinet ministers today. It rained again.

Among the first to take oath was Jagadish Shettar, the man who became the rallying point of a rebellion within the BJP against Mr Yeddyurappa and his close aide Sadananda Gowda, who is now Chief Minister. Mr Shettar was the man 55 of the BJP's 121 MLAs wanted as Chief Minister. About 10 more - 65 - voted for Mr Gowda last week in a secret ballot vote.

Sulking, most of the rebels boycotted Mr Gowda's swearing in ceremony last Friday. As a result, Mr Gowda was sworn in without any ministers, despite a braveheart effort to walk into the rebels' den and make peace. Since then, the rebel camp has sulked and held strategy meetings at Mr Shettar's house negotiating for plum posts.

Today's ceremony thus brings some respite to the Chief Minister. The set of 21 ministers sworn in today include people both from the Yeddyurappa-Gowda camp and the Ananth-Kumar-Shettar camp. All of them were ministers in the last Cabinet.

Not on the list today are the Reddy brothers and their close aide Sriramulu, who face charges even more serious than Mr Yeddyurappa does in the Lokayukta's report on illegal mining. It is believed that the BJP's central leadership is not keen on their inclusion in the Cabinet, especially after Mr Yeddyurappa bowed to party wishes and resigned after being indicted in the report. The BJP is waging a larger, bitter war against the UPA at the Centre on the issue of corruption and can ill-afford to have chinks in its armour.

Full Story at,

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/karnataka-gets-21-ministers-no-reddys-125218

KARNATAKA POLITICS: Now it's fight for cabinet berths!

For LEED / IGBC Certifications, Consultancy, Green Building Design, Green Homes, Green Factory Buildings, Green SEZs, Green Townships & Energy Audits - www.greentekindika.com

Express News Service Last Updated : 05 Aug 2011 09:49:54 AM IST.

BANGALORE: After engaging themselves in a week-long battle for the CM's post, the factions within the state BJP are now fighting for their pie in the Cabinet.

As a result, D V Sadanand Gowda, who had planned to take oath along with a few ministers, had to take oath alone on Thursday, that too in the absence of several legislators who owe allegiance to former minister Jagadish Shettar.

According to sources, both camps one led by former CM B S Yeddyurappa and the other by national BJP general secretary Ananthkumar have engaged in a hard bargaining over cabinet berths. While the Kumar camp is demanding for equal share in the Cabinet besides seeking plum portfolios like home, revenue and RDPR, the Yeddyurappa camp, which has more MLAs, is said to have offered them 14 cabinet berths while seeking to retain 20 berths for it.

Gowda who visited both Shettar and state BJP president K S Eshwrappa on Thursday is said to have made this offer while inviting them for the swearing in ceremony in the evening.

The Shettar camp, on its part, rejected the offer while sticking to their demand for equal share. When Gowda did not commit on it, they decided to boycott the swearing in ceremony.

Full Story at,

http://expressbuzz.com/states/karnataka/karnataka-now-its-fight-for-cabinet-berths/301237.html

LOK PAL BILL: Cabinet approves lokpal bill draft rejected by Anna!

www.greentekindika.com

FOR LIGHTER READING, Download your free copy of “My First Beer” Now with the Smashwords Summer/Winter promotion, ending July 31, 2011

@ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52213

Agencies / New Delhi, July 28, 2011.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh delivers his speech during the inauguration of the Civil Services Day......

The Union cabinet on Thursday approved the lokpal bill draft and kept the Prime Minister and the judiciary out of its purview. Anti-corruption activists had pitched for a strong version of the law to set up a lokpal, saying the government draft to be discussed was"ineffective".

The government had constituted a drafting committee having ministers and members of NGO India Against Corruption to finalise lokpal bill but they failed to reach a consensus.

After that, the ministers finalised a draft lokpal bill for the Cabinet's consideration.

"In its present form, the government's version of the lokpal bill is too weak and ineffective," social activist Anna Hazare, who was also member of the drafting committee, said on Wednesday.

"It has a very narrow jurisdiction."

Full Story at,

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/newdelhi/Cabinet-approves-lokpal-bill-draft-rejected-by-Anna/Article1-726514.aspx

Lokpal Bill to be placed before Cabinet!

www.greentekindika.com

FOR LIGHT READING, Download your free copy of “My First Beer” Now with the Smashwords Summer/Winter promotion, ending July 31, 2011

@ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52213

PTI / The Hindu / NEW DELHI, July 22, 2011.

HRD Minister Kapil Sibal (right) with Home Minister P. Chidambaram before addressing a press conference on Lokpal Bill in New Delhi recently. The Lokpal Bill would be placed before the next Cabinet meeting, Mr. Sibal said on Friday. File photo - PTI.

The Government on Friday said the Lokpal Bill is ready and will be placed before the Union Cabinet for approval in its next meeting where a decision on whether to put the Prime Minister in its purview would also be taken.

“The Lokpal Bill is now ready and it will be moved to the Cabinet. It will be placed before the Cabinet in the next meeting. As promised by UPA-II, by this government, we shall introduce this Bill as soon as possible in the Monsoon session of Parliament,” Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters.

He maintained that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made a promise to the nation on the Lokpal Bill and the government will deliver on that promise.

Asked if the Prime Minister would come within the ambit of the Lokpal as demanded by some political parties and civil society activists led by Anna Hazare, Mr. Sibal said, “Some suggestions were given during the all—party meeting. When the matter comes up before the Cabinet, the government will decide.”

He, however, clarified that the five ministers, including him, in the Joint Drafting Committee were still of the opinion that the Prime Minister should be kept out of the purview of the Lokpal.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2285269.ece?homepage=true

UPA Government: Ring in the new, India; a young country with an old cabinet!

www.greentekindika.com

Download your free copy of “My First Beer” Now with the Smashwords Summer/Winter promotion, ending July 31, 2011

@ http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52213

Friday , July 15, 2011 at 00 : 09 / http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs.

If politics were to mirror celluloid, then clearly our netas seem out of step. A fortnight ago, two Hindi films were released: 'Budha Hoga Tera Baap' and 'Delhi Belly'. The first had the legendary Amitabh Bachchan trying to recreate the magic of the 1970s; the second was a multiplex movie with young actors designed for the MTV generation. Trade figures suggest that 'Delhi Belly' in its first week grossed twice as much as the Amitabh starrer. The main reason seems to be the demographic dividend: for a country where 60 per cent of the population was born after the original Amitabh hit 'Zanjeer', 'Delhi Belly' with its irreverent, almost blasphemous humour, has struck a chord with young India. Crude and crass it may be, but DK Bose is clearly the flavour of the season.

By contrast, the cabinet reshuffle (or political kho-kho as suggested by former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh) which took place this week appeared to embody an older India. The average age of the cabinet ministers after the reshuffle is 65 years while 60 is the average age of UPA 2's Council of Ministers. While 14 cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, are in their 70s, just one - Kumari Selja - is in her 40s. A majority were born before India got independence in 1947. The average age of the ministers of state - normally considered a nursery for 'young' politicians -- is a rather 'seniorish' 54 years.

Of the three ministers of state under 35, all of them - Sachin Pilot, Agatha Sangma and Milind Deora - are the dutiful children of influential politicians. It would be fair to assume that had they not been blessed with a political surname, their chances of being made ministers would be dim. In any case, being a minister of state in an elephantine cabinet is more ceremonial than substantive. All this in an era where a 45-year-old David Cameron is shaping the face of Britain, while a 50-year-old Barack Obama is poised for re-election in the US.

Full Story at,

http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/newsman/1/62531/rajdeep-sardesais-blog-ring-in-the-new-india.html