Gowda acheived the rare feat!

Having been elevated as Chief minister with Yeddyurappa's backing, Sadananda Gowda does his bidding right from receiving directions about where to sit and whom to greet at the swearing-in ceremony at Raj Bhavan yesterday

Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda provided eloquent testimony that he is B S Yeddyurappa's puppet, as he followed exactly what the former CM said told him to do at the swearing in ceremony and after. At the Raj Bhavan where the ceremony took place, Gowda was a given a chair right in front of the first row where Yeddyurappa and leaders of his camp were seated. Heads of the rival camp -- H N Ananth Kumar and K S Eswarappau00a0-- were sitting on the other side, while the other leaders of their camp boycotted the ceremony.

Quite close: BJP leaders say that Gowda will soon emerge from
former CM Yeddyurappa's clutches. Pic/Ramesh HS

Right moves
By the time Gowda turned up for the function, which was scheduled for 4.30 pm, Yeddyurappa was already present and the new CM asked him where to sit after touching his feet. Yeddyurappa pointed at a
separate chair and Gowda promptly occupied it. At one point, just before Governor H R Bhardwaj arrived, Gowda wanted to get up to greet a well wisher, but Yeddyurappa simply gestured for him to remain seated and he did just that.

Yeddyurappa didn't object when Ananth and Eswarappa greeted Gowda before and after he took oath, but he made it a point to present the newly elected CM with a Mysore style headgear while garlanding him.

Friendly assistance?
On being asked about his alleged back seat driving, Yeddyurappa said, "They say I am trying to be a super CM, but they are wrong. I agree Sadananda is my friend, but he is capable enough to act independently. I will never intervene in his work."

The puppetry was more evident when Gowda addressed the first press conference after he took oath as CM. Hackles were raised when R P Jagadish was seated next to him. Jagadish, who was press secretary to Yeddyurappa when he was CM, usually used to remain in the background with files in his hands. Flanking Gowda, was B J Puttaswamy, followed by former minister V S Acharaya and MLC Siddaraju, who are Yeddyurappa loyalists. "Yeddyurappa wanted it to be that way and we just followed instructions. There is nothing wrong in seeking his guidance as he is a senior," said BJP leader close to Yeddyurappa.

Clear instructions
Jagadish helped Gowda in fielding questions posed by scribes and asked him to wind up the press conference when tough queries started coming in. While Jagadish and Puttaswamy are continuing in their respective positions, Yeddyurappa is believed to have instructed the new CM not to alter his official team. "So far there is no change in the CM's official team and we have been asked to continue till further order. It is up to the CM to decide on it," said Jagadish.

However, Gowda sought to clarify that he was no a puppet in the hands of Yeddyurappa. "Yeddyurappa is my senior and I want his support and guidance, but it will never be intervention. I will take all in to confidence and ensure a smooth running administration," he said.

Matter of time
An insider in the BJP said that although Gowda was looking like a puppet now, things would change in future and he would emerge from Yeddyurappa's clutches as the political situation changes. Meanwhile, the stalemate continues over formation of the new cabinet with the warring factions lobbying hard for plum portfolios. The Yeddyurappa camp offered the Ananth Kumar camp 14 seats in a cabinet of strength 34, while the latter wanted an equal share. Yeddyurappa wanted to keep important portfolios such as home and finance with himself, while rivals are demanding the same for their camp.

Gowda attempted to alleviate the tension by visiting the residences of Eswarappa and Jagadish Shettar, but not to avail. Finally, he decided to take oath alone leaving the jugglery of cabinet formation to the coming days.