Mangalore/Mysore, January 4: The Lok Ayukta crisis shows no sign of ending any time soon as both Governor HR. Bhardwaj and Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday refusing to lower their guard on the issue.
Speaking to reporters in Mangalore Mr. Gowda said he would take up the matter of Justice SR Bannurmath's appointment with the governor once again and try to clear the 'confusion' in the Governor's mind over the issue.
“Bannurmath's name is final for the Lok Ayukta post and there will not be any change,” Gowda said and added that he would recommend his name once again. “I will try to convince him (Governor),” he added.
Governor Bhardwaj has twice rejected Bannurmath's name for the post.
“Nothing is impossible and we are very sure we will manage to convince the governor,” Gowda said.
Earlier in the day, Mr. Bhardwaj, speaking to reporters in Mysore, said that he would not accept the name of Bannurmath's for the Lokayukta's post.
“I am not going to budge. Let him recommend some other name. I will definitely give the go-ahead,” Mr. Bhardwaj said.
The Governor, who had raised quite a few eyebrows earlier for his potshots against former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, surprisingly had a word of praise for the present incumbent. “He (Gowda) is doing a good job as chief minister,” Mr. Bhardwaj said.
The appointment row had started in November when Gowda recommended the former Kerala high court chief justice's name to take over as the new ombudsman.
Mr. Bhardwaj rejected it since Bannurmath's name had cropped up in several controversies. Bannurmath faced allegations of securing the allotment of a residential site in violation of rules.
The governor rejected the recommendation a second time after Gowda once again sent the file with Bannurmath's name a few days ago.
Mr. Bhardwaj told the government that it was not difficult to find a non-controversial judge and suggested that they “Google search for better names”.
Mr. Bhardwaj had said that if the government suggested the name of a non-controversial judge, he would approve the appointment without delay.
The Lok Ayukta's post in the state has been lying vacant since September when the previous incumbent, Shivaraj Patil, quit amid charges of securing the allotment of a site in his wife's name from a private housing cooperative society in violations of rules.
Mr. Gowda said the state government would convene a 10-day legislature session in January, for which he held discussions with former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa,BJP state president KS Eshwarappa and opposition leader Siddaramaiah.
“I discussed with them various issues that will be taken up for discussions in the session,” he said, adding that the budget will be presented in March.
Shoba's Delhi visit:
Meanwhile, reacting to Power Minister Shobha Karandlaje's Delhi visit, during which she held parleys with the BJP national president Nitin Gadkari, Mr. Gowda said there was nothing wrong in ministers meeting the national-level leaders.
“It was a courtesy call. Every minister who visits New Delhi generally meets up with national president or other top leaders and discusses things related to their ministry. There is nothing wrong in that. Shobha must also have done that. There is no need to attach any significance to the meeting,” he told reporters in reply to a query.
“It is obvious that in the present political situation, the meeting was sought to be portrayed in a different light,” he added.
Ms. Karandlaje, a known B.S. Yeddyurappa loyalist, had dashed to Delhi on Tuesday amidst deepening fissures between the former chief minister and the party State president K.S. Eshwarappa.
The state BJP has plunged into a deep crisis following a sensational revelation by Mr. Yeddyurappa that Mr. Eshwarappa was responsible for him being sent to jail. He had also blasted Mr. Eshwarappa for converting BJP into his fortress.
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