BANGALORE: Karnataka CM N. Dharam Singh has received two letters in the space of one week. One by former PM Deve Gowda on August 2, the second by former CM Krishna on Monday. Gowda demanded a CBI probe into the alleged Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor land scam and another inquiry into the alleged irregularities in the BDA during Krishna’s tenure.An anguished Krishna has shot back, urging Singh to call a halt to the BMIC. The underlying message of these missives: a souring political marriage? Surrounding the memos are murmurs and, indeed, vexation within the Congress.

Krishna’s missile

Even as chief minister N. Dharam Singh is wondering how to put an end to the Rs 2,000 crore Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project controversy, his predecessor S.M. Krishna on Monday surpised everyone by demanding scrapping it.

Anguished over the allegations levelled by former PM Deve Gowda against his government on the issue, Krishna in a letter to the CM wants cancellation of the entire project and returning the acquired land to farmers.

Krishna said it was Gowda and the succeeding JD government of J.H. Patel which cleared the project. In a veiled warning to Gowda, the former CM said: "If anyone is trying to weaken the 118-year-old Congress and its leader Sonia Gandhi, he is daydreaming."
Divide and rule

The two-and-a-half-month-old coalition government has been on collision course from day one. Today, while JD(S) boss Deve Gowda is dusting up decisions of the Krishna regime, both party workers in districts too are indulging in wordy duels. Will it still be party time for the two-in-one government? In their own words...

"Did he not know what a coalition set-up entails before agreeing to cohabit with us? Gowda is the chief architect of the coalition. If the architect himself finds fault with the building’s construction, one can only attribute motives to it." — Congress.

"Gowda has assured us his actions will not destabilise the government. On the contrary, Poojary has threatened to end the coalition." — JD(S). Over to opposition...

"Our image as the opposition party has taken a beating because in public perception the JD(S) is doing the job that we should have done.— BJP.