By IANS,
Bangalore: Ahead of Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa’s meeting with dissidents of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress said Saturday it was not attempting to topple his government.
However, the Congress could not be held responsible if the government falls on its own due to continuing dissidence, union Law Minister Veerappa Moily and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Siddaramaiah separately asserted here.
The BJP has become weak both at the national level and in Karnataka and differences within that party might bring down the state government, Moily told reporters.
At a separate press conference, Siddaramaiah made a similar statement. He also said he was not aware if Janata Dal-Secular leaders were in talks with the Congress high command on the possibility of the two parties forming a government if the Yeddyurappa ministry falls.
On Friday, Congress Lok Sabha member and former chief minister N. Dharam Singh had claimed that the fall of the Yeddyurappa government was imminent and Siddaramaiah would be the next chief minister.
Yeddyurappa has planned a meeting with BJP dissidents here Sunday to discuss their demand for inclusion in the ministry and the dropping of a few ministers.
The dissidents, said to number around 20, are reported to be seeking three ministerial berths and six posts of heads of government-run boards and corporations.
Late on Saturday, Yeddyurappa met state Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders to discuss the continuing dissidence in the BJP.
He survived an attempt to replace him in November by iron ore mining barons Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy and his elder brother Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy.
The Reddy brothers, meanwhile, were jubilant as their ‘thayi’ (mother) Sushma Swaraj has taken over as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha from L.K. Advani.
The brothers distributed sweets to people in the iron ore rich district of Bellary, about 400 km from here.
They became close to Sushma Swaraj when she contested the 1999 Lok Sabha polls from Bellary against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and always address the senior BJP leader as ‘thayi’.
Sushma Swaraj mediated between the Reddys and Yeddyurappa in November.