Settling old scores or reviving old alliances?

Managing Director of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Ashok Kheny is believed to be the man behind the charge sheet against former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's family, released by the BJP yesterday.


Well informed: MD of NICE Ashok Kheny, who is believed to be behind
the release of the chargesheet against H D Deve Gowda (inset), is said to
be reviving ties with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa after their relationship
soured over the years. File pics

Kheny said that he was not disclosing what he knew out of personal vendetta, but because he felt that people had a right to know who was good and otherwise. This development has reportedly given way for ideas about him and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa reviving a relationship, which had soured over time, since now a common enemy is in the cross hairs.

While the records released show irregularities on a large scale by the Gowda clan, Kheny allegedly supplied the documents in a bid to settle a score against the former PM for tormenting him over a Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) issue.

As Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had promised in response to H D Kumaraswamy's allegations on his scams, BJP State President K S Eswarappa and party spokesperson Nirmala Seetaraman released the charge sheet listing the irregularities done by the Gowda clan, chiefly during Kumaraswamy's tenure as CM.

For a rainy day?
Majority of the scams enlisted have already been discussed in the public domain, but the real explosive ones are understood to be in an arsenal for future onslaught.

Fresh scams, including the irregularities done in the government recruitments through Karnataka State Public Service Commission (KPSC) were expected to be unearthed, but they seem to have been reserved.

"It is only 25 percent of the scams, which have been released and lots are to come. I have nothing against anybody. But, the people must know who is right and who is wrong. I only shared the information, which was with me," said Kheny.

While this provided an opportunity for Kheny to corner Gowda, it also helped him to patch up with Yeddyurappa as his relationship with the CM had been souring recently.

"Yeddyurappa is a nice man. There were some misgivings between us these days and it is solved now," he said.

Kheny had helped Yeddyurappa, a fellow Lingayat, in the last assembly polls by garnering community support, besides doing a bit in terms of raising election funds. However, there was no love lost after Yeddyurappa assumed office, and now they have come closer to take on the common enemy.

'Call for CBI probe'
Reacting to the charge sheet, Gowda said, "The so called scams they are talking about are the old ones and many are closed chapters. Yeddyurappa or Kheny or whoever it may be, they cannot point a figure at our family. I dare them to call for a CBI probe, if they think their allegations have a base."

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