BMIC: JD(S), BJP stick to their guns

BMIC: JD(S), BJP stick to their guns

The Hindu

While the JD (S) is pushing for legislation, the BJP is against the takeover of the project

BANGALORE: The Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to refrain from compromising with the Janata Dal (Secular) over the demand of the latter for enacting legislation to call off the agreement with the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Ltd. (NICE), which is executing the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project. The coalition partners thus continued with their divergent stand on the matter.

JD(S) leaders `upset'

Sources in the Janata Dal (S) told The Hindu that the party top brass was upset with the stand taken by the BJP and said the party was firm that effective action should be initiated to prevent NICE from acquiring excess land in the vicinity of Bangalore. The Janata Dal (S) was of the view that the project should be implemented strictly in accordance with the framework agreement and in line with the directions of the Supreme Court which had upheld the orders of the Karnataka High Court.

Meanwhile, the Janata Dal (S) Legislature Party meeting expressed solidarity with party president and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.

They were authorised to take a decision on what steps the legislature party should take under the present circumstances.

The party legislators agreed with the top brass that there was no question of permitting NICE to go ahead with what it termed "real estate promotion plan."

Antony holds talks

In another development, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka A.K. Antony also arrived in Bangalore to take stock of the political situation. He said the Congress was in no hurry to form a Government and was closely watching the developments.

Mr. Antony was here in January and did his best to prevent the fall of the Dharam Singh-led coalition Government. Vice-President of the BJP M. Venkaiah Naidu, who arrived here on Sunday, held a meeting with State unit leaders, including B.S. Yediyurappa, D.V. Sadananda Gowda and H.N. Ananth Kumar.

Mr. Gowda said the BJP was against taking over the BMIC by the Government.

The party, however, exuded confidence that the controversy would be resolved soon. The nature of discussions that it proposed to have with the Janata Dal (S) were however kept under wraps.

During the hour-long meeting with Mr. Naidu, Mr. Gowda and Mr. Yediyurappa briefed him about the project.

`Wrong signal'

Mr. Gowda said the party leaders felt that the BMIC project should not be stopped since it would send a wrong signal to the investors across the globe. While the party was in favour of taking back the excess land from NICE and return it to the original owners, the Janata Dal (S) was favour of auctioning it. The party would consult legal experts to find a solution to the issue. A major contention between the rulings parties was how to go ahead about the excess land, he said.

Message

Mr. Gowda said the Janata Dal (S) had not informed to the BJP its official stand on the project. "We are waiting for a message from the Janata Dal (S)."

The Janata Dal (S) proposals would be discussed at a meeting of the legislature party on Monday.

Later, the issue would be discussed at a meeting of the coordination committee of both parties.

A joint legislature meeting of ruling parties would also be convened to sort out the differences, he said.

Mr. Gowda refused to comment on statements made by Mr. Deve Gowda and said the differences would be sorted out through negotiations.

The differences between the two parties over the project would not have any impact on the Government, and such differences were common in a coalition set-up, he said.