From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Apr 6: Leading a full-scale campaign for the victory of ruling BJP candidates in the three by-elections to the Karnataka assembly on April 9 if the people wanted for stability, said two senior BJP leaders

''People want stability of the Government led by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa," said State BJP Spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Ayanur Manjunath.

State’s Special Representative in New Delhi V Dhananjayakumar, who addressed a news conference in Bangalore, has urged the people of the three assembly constituencies to vote for BJP candidates.

Both the leaders predicted that BJP will win all the three seats.

However, the BJP leaders could not answer to a poser on whether the party would continue to lure MLAs from opposition parties to consolidate its strength in the 224—member Assembly.

The ruling BJP has now 106 members and support of a lone Independent. It requires 113 for a simple majority.

Following the disqualification of 16 MLAs under anti—defection laws and resignation of four, BJP’s strength has been reduced to 204. The Congress has 71 and JD(S) 27.

Manjunath said most JD(S) MLAs would desert the party, which has been reduced to a father and son party and of local chieftains.

Both leaders said Congress has no chance of winning even one seat in the coming by-elections.

Meanwhile state unit Spokesman S Prakash said he has submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission to ensure that outsiders do not enter Chennapatna Assembly constituency to avoid repeat of violence witnessed during last year’s by-poll.

''Judiciary should be pro-active in corruption cases"

Incidentally, at a separate news conference in the city, former union minister and senior Congress leader B Janardhana Poojary said it was time that the higher judiciary emulates the Supreme Court and be pro-active in cases of corruption involving politicians in the interest of democracy and the people.

Poojary expressed happiness over the apex court ordering investigation into and monitoring the criminal cases against the former union minister A Raja and Commonwealth Games organising committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi and desired similar action against the Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa facing graft charges.

He said the Karnataka High Court had only stayed the proceedings against him in the magistrate court and it was not a relief to him.

As both the legislature and executive had failed miserably and only higher judiciary was the saviour of democracy and people in the state, he said.

Asked whether he or his party would file an application impleading before the High Court on this point, Poojary replied with a smile 'wait for some days.’

Poojary backs Anna Hazare’s fast

Welcoming indefinite fasting by Anna Hazare, social activist demanding enactment of the Jan Lokpal Bill to combat corruption, he said Hazare should have waited for 15 days, as the National Advisory Council was seized of the matter.

Holding BJP responsible for the by-elections in the state, the Congress leader said Yeddyurappa resorted to operation Lotus and got BJP MLAs disqualified to silence the opposition both in Congress and JD(S) and in his party.

When the law starts taking its course, what had happened to Raja and Kalmadi would happen to Yeddyurappa also. One could not hide crimes for long. The BJP issues sermons on corruption shielding his leaders facing graft charges, while Congress punishes its leaders.

About results in the by-elections to three Assembly constituencies, Poojary predicted that the BJP will not win even a single seat.

''I will retire from politics if BJP wins all 3 seats"

The Congress leader challenged that he would retire from politics, if the ruling party won in all the seats, as claimed by Yeddyurappa.

Terming the silence of Yeddyurappa and the State BJP Unit Chief K S Eshwarappa over the issue of change of leadership as a 'lull before the storm,’ he said it would explode after the by-elections leading to the fall of the government.

Poojary demanded Chief Minister to explain his silence over the non-appearance of the Tourism and Infrastructure Development Minister G Janardhana Reddy before the courts, which have sent him summons.