With the State Cabinet deciding to appeal to the Supreme Court against the Karnataka High Court verdict in the BMIC project case, the scene has shifted to Delhi. Chief Secretary K K Misra and Under Secretary (Industries and Commerce) M Shivalinga Swamy – the two officials against whom the court has ordered criminal proceedings – left for New Delhi on Wednesday evening.

Former Attorney-General of India Soli Sorabjee is expected to represent the case for Mr Misra while State Advocate-General B T Parthasarathy will represent the State government, secretariat sources told Deccan Herald.

Earlier in the day, Mr Misra held discussions with the State Advocate-General, the Law Secretary and other officials in the wake of the State deciding to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Karnataka High Court judgement. Though Mr Misra has been given the freedom to choose his own advocate, no decision has been taken on this matter yet, sources said. Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, S V Ranganath and Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) CEO Harish Gowda accompanied Mr Misra and Mr Swamy to Delhi.

Senior JD(S) leader and Minister for Industries P G R Sindhia who is just back from Australia, declined to comment on the issue saying he was yet to go through the judgement or hold discussions with his officials.

He, however, said that he was committed to the Cabinet’s decision to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Krishna arrives

Meanwhile, political activity gathered momentum in the State with senior Congress leader and Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna arriving in Bangalore on Wednesday. A number of Congress leaders called on Mr Krishna and urged him to return to State politics.

“You should play an active role in the State”, leaders urged Mr Krishna. “Only your presence in the state can counter Janata Dal (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s tirade against the Congress”, they told Mr Krishna, party sources said.

Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), the promoters of Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project, have said that work on the Phase-1 of the project which commenced in February 2004 was in full swing.

“At no stage work on the project has been stopped”, a representative of NICE told Deccan Herald on Wednesday. The Government has so far allotted 1,035 acres of the 5,000 acres for Phase-1 of the project, the representative said.