Facing allegations of illegal mining, Karnataka ministers and powerful brothers G Janardhan Reddy and G Karuanakar Reddy on Sunday met senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, considered close to them ,and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa who is under mounting pressure to sack them.
The meeting between the Reddy brothers and the Chief Minister at the Karnataka Bhawan here came a day after Yeddyurappa held a series of meetings with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram, senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Nitin Gadkari.
Janardhan Reddy said he and his brother also met senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, who is considered close to them, here today.
The BJP leadership is caught in the horns of dilemma of saving its government in Karnataka and at the same time ensuring that its image, in the face of the charges made against the Reddy brothers is not sullied.
Senior BJP leader L K Advani has asked the Karnataka party unit to make all efforts to save its first government in the South in case the party has to act against Tourism Minister G Janardhan Reddy and Revenue Minister G Karunakar Reddy in the wake of stepped up opposition to their continuance in government.
Sources said Swaraj may indicate to the Reddy brothers that it would be better for them to resign on their own and await the report of the Lokayukta on the issue of illegal mining. They may come back to the ministry if they come out unscathed on the issue, sources said. But there was no official word from the party on any such move yet. PTI
