There was pressure on the CM from BJP State President D V Sandananda Gowda to remove Varthur Prakash as he was openly supporting non-BJP leaders in elections. While he had been saying Congress leader Siddaramaiah is his leader, he campaigned for Congress leader K H Muniayppa in Kolar in the recent LS elections.
Shruthi has been ditched like a hot potato as she is facing crisis in her personal life. The decision to sack the actress has been taken at the CM’s level. Sadananda Gowda had said that the Party will not remove her from the post keeping her personal life as an issue.
D S Aswath, Secretary to Government, Women and Child Development Department, Bangalore has been given additional charge as Chairman, Karnataka Women’s Development Corporation, while Sandeep Dave, Managing Director, KUWSDB had been given additional charge as chairman of the department.
Shruthi’s divorce petition to her husband Mahender had created a stir in the Sangh and the BJP circles. The duo had joined the BJP on the eve of the 2008 Assembly polls, in which the latter unsuccessfully contested for Kollegal Reserved seat. A few weeks ago when Shruthi announced that she will be marrying journalist-turned-director Chandrachud after her divorce is through, a few in the saffron party urged the CM to sack Shruthi from the post on the grounds that she has brought disgrace to the party.
Prakash, is one of six independent MLAs to have supported the government in May 2008. However, his criticism of the government and association with the senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah had attracted the ire of the party. His recent criticism of senior minister K S Eshwarappa, a person belonging to his own community (Kuruba), was the last straw.
When contacted, Prakash said the government with his sacking had betrayed the backward classes. “They took my support when it was crucial for the survival of the government. Now they have ditched me. The government’s days are numbered and I will personally work for its downfall”, he said.
Shruthi remained incommunicado.