Ahead of meetingof Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka to discuss the Mahadayi water dispute, state BJP President B S Yeddyurappa today suggested that opposition leaders of the allthree states also be invited for the meeting.
"My suggestion is that leaders of the Oppositionof both the Houses of all the three states must be invited tothe meeting of the Chief Ministers slated for October 21 atMumbai on Mahadayi issue," Yeddyurappa told reporters here.
He also appealed to senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge to persuade the Opposition leaders of Goa and Maharashtra to participate in the meeting.
Chief Ministers of the three states are scheduled tomeet in Mumbai on October 21 following the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal's directions on September one for the states concerned to resolve the water dispute amicably byholding discussions.
Yeddyurappa has also confirmed his party's participation in the all-party meeting convened by the Chief Minister on October 19 to discuss the state's strategyduring the Chief Ministers meeting.
BJP leaders from the state including UnionMinister Ananth Kumar and Opposition Leader Jagadish Shettar had yesterday met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and apprised him of the the state's concerns on the issue, and thanked him for taking initiative in convening the meeting.
Informing about yesterday's meeting with Fadnavis, Shettar said, "Since the beginning, we have asked them (Congress party which is in power here and in opposition in Maharashtra and Goa) for cooperation. If they had cooperated things could be solved easily,but they are not doing it."
"We have at least had informal meeting with our party in Goa and Maharashtra, but they arenot ready to do that," he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaih has expressed hope that the discussion with the Chief Minister will be fruitful.
Responding to a question about BJP leaders meeting Maharashtra Chief Minister, he said, "It would have been better if they had discussion with Goa as the issue is with thatstate."
"I don't wish any controversy at the beginning itself, we want the discussions to be fruitful and that should be everybody's wish," he said.
Karnataka, which has locked horns with theneighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi water between both the states, had petitioned the tribunalseeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for itsKalasa-Banduri Nala project.
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