Yeddyurappa withdraws security cover from resort hosting Congress MLAs

BENGALURU: One of the first moves of newly sworn-in CM BS Yeddyurappa was to withdraw all security cover to the resort on Bengaluru’s outskirts where Congress and JDS MLAs were staying.

“We don’t know what BJP is planning to do.... But they are cut-throat people. Anything may happen. We have asked our Youth Congress boys to guard the resort till all matters are resolved,” Congress’ state president G Parameshwara told ET.

Yeddyurappa has replaced advocate general Madhusudhan R Naik with senior advocate Prabhuling Navadgi. The latter is likely to represent him in the court case in the SC against his government on Friday.


Yeddyurappa’s next move was to replace outgoing CM Siddaramaiah’s principal secretary LK Atheeq, who is considered close to the Congress leader, with a senior Dalit IAS officer M Lakshminarayana. “This is to send out a clear message to the Dalit community that the BJP is with them,” one of Yeddyurappa’s aides said. “The principal secretary controls the chief minister’s office and is the bureaucratic face of the CM’s office. So, it is crucial that it has to be the right man,” he added.

In his earlier stint as CM in 2008, Yeddyurappa had appointed IAS officer VP Baligar, a Lingayat, as his principal secretary. His administration in those days was severely criticised for being Lingayat-centric .

Yeddyurappa also tried to bring back his “doer” image, by directing the finance department to get him the actual amount needed to waive loans up to Rs 1 lakh for all farmers –– a pre-poll promise he had made. He told reporters: “ The promise will be implemented in the next two days.”