All Karnataka action centered in Delhi these days

Karnataka is in political turmoil, but Delhi is where the action is being played out with all prominent leaders of the state, ruling as well as opposition, either camping in the national capital or headed there as the BJP desperately tries to save its first government in the state.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, whose removal the rebel faction led by the Reddy brothers are demanding, is slated to reach Delhi late Wednesday.

State Governor H.R. Bharadwaj is also in Delhi. He told reporters he was on a private visit, but would keep an eye on the developments and act when necessary.

Energy Minister K.S. Eshwarappa, the former state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, is in Delhi to do his bit to solve the crisis gripping the Yeddyurappa ministry for the past 10 days.

Dissident leader and Tourism Minister G. Janardhana Reddy has been in the national capital since Sunday, trying to win over party chief Rajnath Singh and other top leaders to have a man of his choice as chief minister.

His elder brother and Revenue Minister G. Karunakara Reddy spent two days in Delhi last week for the same reason.

Yeddyurappa's supporters, Home Minister V.S. Acharya and former union minister V. Dhananjaya Kumar were also in Delhi. They held talks with Rajnath Singh and senior leader Arun Jaitley.

The state Congress delegation led by its president R.V. Deshpande has been camping in Delhi for the past two days, briefing central leaders on the continuing drama in the state ministry.

Janata Dal-Secular state president and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is also in the national capital for several days now. There is speculation in Bangalore that he has been meeting central Congress leaders on the steps the two parties should take in the present scenario.

However, Kumaraswamy has denied meeting Congress leaders with the aim to take advantage of the crisis and attempt at government formation.

Kumaraswamy, who had formed a coalition government with the BJP with Yeddyurappa as deputy chief minister in 2006, has claimed several BJP leaders from the rival camps were in touch with him.

"Ministers and legislators of both the camps are in touch with me, but they have not sought support from us," Kumaraswamy told reporters.

State Congress president Deshpande said: "We are watching the developments."

Assembly speaker Jagadish Shettar, who is being propped up by rebels as alternative to Yeddyurappa, was also in Delhi last week to meet the central leadership.

Dozens of legislators supporting the Reddy brothers are holed up in a star hotel in Hyderabad and a guest house in Goa for nearly a week now to stay away from being poached by the Yeddyurappa camp.

The BJP crisis scene shifted to Delhi after party senior leader Arun Jaitley failed to bring rapproachment between the warring groups after three days of talks in Bangalore last week.

With the Reddy brothers and Yeddyurappa sticking to their stand, speculation is rife in Bangalore that the Delhi efforts would fail and Jaitley will come to the Karnataka capital soon to make one more attempt at peace.

Last updated on Nov 4^th, 2009 at 17:33 pm IST--IANS