In a sign of growing rift between coalition partners JD(S) and BJP in Karnataka, ahead of next month's expected transfer of power, ministers of the saffron party recently staged a protest at Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's chamber and even threatened to boycott the cabinet meeting.
The BJP ministers trooped into the Chief Minister's chamber to protest JD(S) "usurping" its quota of a member's post in the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC), among other issues.
Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who was fuming at the decision by Kumaraswamy to appoint G T Chandrashekhar as KPSC member without consulting him, refused to attend the Cabinet meeting and his party colleagues soon joined him.
A source in the BJP said the party has a long list of complaints against Kumaraswamy and JD(S) leadership for their contradictory signals on power transfer and also the "ill-treatment" being meted out to Yediyurappa.
With none of the JD(S) ministers volunteering to play the role of an emissary to persuade BJP leaders to call off their protest, Kumaraswamy requested Health Minister R Ashok (BJP) to talk to Yediyurappa.
Ashok succeeded in his mission and the cabinet meeting scheduled to start at 0900 hrs got off at 1030 hrs.
While Kumaraswamy played down the incident, remarking "the BJP ministers were taking rest in my chamber", none of the BJP ministers chose to speak to the press on the issue.
As per agreement between JD(S) and BJP when the coalition government assumed office, the former should transfer power to the saffron party on October 3.
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