Shivakumar held talks with BJP on govt formation; HM Amit Shah rejected proposal: Yatnal

Belagavi, Dec 12 (IANS) Expelled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal claimed on Friday that Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Karnataka BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra met Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the government formation in the state.

He said, however, Amit Shah, the proposal to form a government in Karnataka with Shivakumar.

The development comes amid reports of a leadership change in the state between the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister of the ruling Congress party,

“Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will not easily give up the CM’s post to this candidate (Shivakumar). Talks have already taken place between Shivakumar and the BJP leadership. Vijayendra took Shivakumar to Delhi. The ‘business’ regarding the CM and Deputy CM posts was finalised between them. But Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not agree,” claimed Yatnal.

Yatnal added, “Amit Shah refused to give his consent to forming a government with Shivakumar. He instead suggested dissolving the Assembly. This is official information and has been confirmed by a BJP Lok Sabha member.”

He further alleged that the two leaders held a meeting in a five-star hotel to negotiate for the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister positions.

When asked who the two leaders were, Yatnal responded, “Who else? It was Shivakumar and Vijayendra. They discussed all this in front of Amit Shah, but he did not agree.”

Yatnal further said that Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi is also of the same view that the BJP would not form a government with any Congress leader in Karnataka.

He said that it had been decided that Shivakumar would become the Chief Minister and Vijayendra the Deputy Chief Minister.

“The meeting was held 28.5 kilometres away from Delhi. But Amit Shah did not agree. The plans of Vijayendra and Shivakumar failed because Amit Shah rejected them. As their attempts collapsed, they are now quiet, and Shivakumar is trying to become the Chief Minister within the Congress party itself,” Yatnal asserted.

Earlier, Shivakumar had denied joining the BJP, saying that the Congress party is like his mother and that he would never betray it.

Shivakumar further said that when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), he was given two options – to end up in Tihar Jail or to join the BJP – and he chose the former.

–IANS

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