Ananth heads for Karnataka as BJP chief

In a bid to groom yet another of its more promising young leaders, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced it is appointing one of its federal cabinet ministers as the president of the Karnataka state unit, opening the possibility of yet another reshuffle in the federal cabinet.

Minister for Urban Development Ananth Kumar was last weekend named as the new chief of the Karnataka state unit amid broad indications that he will be projected by the party as its chief ministerial candidate during next year's provincial assembly elections in the state.

Elections are still 15 months away in the Congress bastion but the BJP's long trem planners are willing to sacrifice Ananth Kumar's skills at the centre in a bid to reap a harvest in a state that has, so far, earned kudos for its hi-tech status and communal harmony.

Although Kumar, a member of parliament from Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat, has not yet resigned as a minister, BJP circles say he was told in clear terms that he will have to step down from his present assignment under the strict one-man-one-post policy of the party.

Efforts are currently on to find a suitable alternative to Kumar as Urban Development is seen as one of the key ministries. Its performance will have a direct bearing on upcoming state assembly polls in the national capital later this year as well as in other urban parts of the country during next year's general elections.

The now expected mini-reshuffle is likely to take place anytime before the monsoon session of Parliament, which gets underway from July 21.

Besides inducting a replacement for Kumar, the possibility of giving representation to the regional Trinamool Congress party of West Bengal is also being discussed. There is no breakthrough as yet in sight however over naming a Trinamool representative as minister.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee reshuffled his council of ministers last on May 24 but was unable to bring his nominee in as the Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee wanted to have a say in who should be named minister.

The BJP is still inclined towards inducting her estranged colleague Sudip Bandopadhyay. Interestingly, Banerjee has shown her desire for the Urban Development Ministry after her failures to get Railways and Rural Development was turned down.

BJP circles say that considering the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that owns all land in Delhi is directly under the Urban Development minister, there is no likelihood of this particular ministry being given to Banerjee or any other partner in the 23-party coalition.

"Party chief M. Venkaiah Naidu has put his foot down in May over allocation of Rural Development Ministry to any alliance partner arguing that since this ministry is directly responsible for development of rural India, the BJP will do well to have its own nominee in his ministry. The same logic applies for Urban Development as well," a senior party functionary said.

Kumar was the third Urban Development minister after Vajpayee government assumed power in October 1999. Noted jurist Ram Jethmalani headed this ministry for a while before he was shifted to the Law Ministry after he fell out with Vajpayee and was then dropped.

Jagmohan, who replaced Jethmalani as the Urban Development Minister, moved to the Tourism Ministry after Delhi BJP leaders blamed him for the fiasco during civic polls early this year in the city, holding him and his policy of clearing the metropolis of shanties and illegal factories as responsible for the debacle.

Before Kumar, several central ministers were made to resign after being shifted to the party.