He told media persons that almost 90 per cent of the promises made to the people prior to the elections have been fulfilled and in the days to come the people of Karnataka can expect more. The Yeddyurappa government which took charge of Karnataka on May 30 faced its first hurdle when the fertilizer crisis broke out in the state. The state witnessed protests and riots especially in the northern part. One such incident turned bloody and two persons were killed in police firing in Haveri in North Karnataka.
The Yeddyurappa government which is relatively new to governance came in for lot of flak for this incident. Both the opposition and the media blamed the government was batting in the dark regarding this issue. The government had initially claimed that there was no fertilizer shortage in the state but had to change its tune once the protests got violent. However after holding talks with the Union government the situation was brought under control.
When Yeddyurappa took over as the CM, one of the biggest challenges daunting his government was the question of stability. The people of Karnataka had become sick of instability thanks to three governments falling during the last term. However the BJP was on an aggressive mode once it took over power. The BJP which was falling short of an absolute majority after the elections managed to tide over the problem by roping in 6 independent MLAs just two days after the counting.
However the BJPs thirst for more legislators did not end here with the party launching Operation Lotus in Karnataka. The party managed to rope in 5 MLAs from the Janata Dal-S and three from the Congress. However the party faced severe criticism due to this and the operation was kept under abeyance. While opposition leaders accused the BJP of unfair tactics, Yeddyurappa came under pressure from his party colleagues who thought he was giving away too much to the defectors in terms of portfolios while ignoring his own party men.
Another issue that the Yeddyurappa government has had to deal with is terrorism. The serial blasts in Karnataka in July has given the government sleepless nights and it has now vowed to fight this menace. Home Minister, Dr V S Acharya says that the existing laws will be made more stringent and the issue would be debated in Assembly. However the Yeddyurappa government cannot credit itself with cracking the case since as of now there seem to be more theories rather than breakthroughs where the serial blast case is concerned.
The Yeddyurappa government has also had to deal with the problem of an erratic monsoon this year. The State and Bangalore in particular witnesses power cuts unabated. The government says that it is working on this issue of power shortage in the state. First on the priority list is the setting up of a power plant in Bidadi on the outskirts of the city which will ensure that Bangalore does not need to depend on the rest of the state for power.
The government also says that it is fulfilling the promise of free power to farmers who own 10 HP irrigation pumpsets. The process has begun, but those farmers who want to avail this facility will have to clear pending power bills first.
The latest controversy surrounding the BJP government is the notice issued to all Christian institutions in the state who had remained closed for a day in protest of the Orrissa incident. Although the opposition is gunning for the government's neck, the government maintains the notices are perfectly in tune with the law as the institutions had not obtained prior permission before downing shutters for a day.
The state of Karnataka will witness celebrations on Tuesday in view of the government completing 100 days. All party units of the BJP have organized functions in their respective districts to commemorate 100 days of the BJP in office.
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