With just a week to go for the transfer of power to the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka, the Janata Dal (Secular) on Thursday put a question mark over the issue, with Chief Minister Kumaraswamy first saying he will resign on October 3 and backtracking later.
Kumaraswamy first told the media that he will keep his promise and step down on October 3, irrespective of whether power is transferred to the BJP.
However, he retracted his statement late in the night and told reporters, "Only on October 3, I will let people know what I will do"
Kumaraswamy continued to send conflicting signals about handing over power to his coalition partner BJP by adding, "I will keep my promise". But he declined to divulge his plans.
Senior JD (S) leaders have been urging Kumaraswamy against taking any hasty decisions about the matter. In the backdrop of escalated tension between the coalition partners, the legislators were apprehensive that President's rule might be imposed in the state if Kumaraswamy resigns
Meanwhile, the BJP, on tenterhooks about the power transfer in Karnataka, can finally heave a sigh of relief as state tourism minister Sriramulu has offered to tender his resignation. JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda had suspended talks about transferring power to the BJP unless the party took action against Sriramulu, who had alleged that chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had tried to kill him.
The BJP hopes that the tourism minister's resignation will pave the way for further talks and negotiations with the JD (S). A faction of the BJP believes that with Sriramulu's offer to resign, the JD (S) has lost its trump card.
Sriramulu says that he had offered to resign as he did not think it would be right to continue in the present cabinet with the JD(S). However, he emphasised that his allegantions were not false and spoke at length about the manner in which he was being harassed.
"The police harassed me and as a minister I had to plead and beg with them to leave me alone. What is the point in continuing in such a ministry," said Sriramulu.
Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was unavailable for comment as he is currently in Mangalore to attend a religious programme. According to the state BJP, nothing much can be done about the issue till he comes back to Bangalore.
The BJP had earlier declined to comment about the JD (S) dillydallying about handing over the reins of the state to the BJP as per their power sharing agreement during the formation of the government.
"I have not seen the statement. Let me get the script," said BJP president Rajnath Singh. He was talking about JD (S) supremo Deve Gowda's statement that power transfer to the BJP was unlikely on October 3 and the present situation was not conducive for such talks.
The Congress, which was ousted from power in Karnataka 20 months ago after the JD (S) withdrew its support to its government, has adopted a wait-and-watch approach.
"The ball is in their court," a senior leader said when asked if the Congress will extend its support to the JD (S).
With additional inputs from PTI