Will Siddaramaiah use House panel report on power purchase to nail BSY, Shobha?

Bengaluru: With assembly polls nearing the gloves are clearly off. While the BJP recently released documents claiming involvement of CM Siddaramaiah and Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar in a coal scam, the government is reportedly preparing some ammunition of its own to take it on.

A report of the House committee set up to look into the power purchases during BJP rule from 2006 to 2013 could be tabled during the 10 day joint session of the state legislature in Belagavi, according to sources. The committee, which had been inactive in the past, has gone into overdrive to complete its task in a week, they reveal.

Upset with the BJP’s charges, Mr Siddaramaiah is learnt to have held a meeting with Mr Shivakumar and officials of the energy department Sunday night to prepare the final report on the irregularities in the power deals during its years in office.

He is reportedly keen on nailing the then CM and now state BJP chief, B S Yeddyurappa and Ms Shobha Karandlaje , the then Energy Minister. The report will enclose the comments of JDS state chief, H D Kumaraswamy on the huge loss suffered by the state owing to the price it paid for buying power at the time.

“It's a tactical move by CM to counter the BJP which is on a mission to expose corruption in the Congress government in the state,” sources added.

Mr Kumaraswamy said he had nothing to do with the government’s decision to hasten submission of House committee’s report on power purchases.