The crisis in the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka continued on Wednesday night, with the rebel MLAs moving to Kochi in order to dodge any attempt at negotiations by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. The first round of talks with the rebel legislators have already failed as they have refused to budge from their demand of a change in leadership in the state.
Yeddyurappa had earlier stated that he would take the floor test on October 11 and prove that he has the support of the majority of the legislators. His emissary Janardhan Reddy, who was sent to Chennai to hold talks with the rebel MLAs, stated that the crisis would be over in two days.
As a precautionary measure, the Congress in Karnataka has moved all its MLAs to an undisclosed location to prevent any sort of horse trading.
Meanwhile, there was some reprieve for the BJP government in Karnataka on Wednesday when two dissident legislators met Governor H R Bharadwaj and withdrew their letter of dissidence which was submitted earlier in the morning.
The two MLAs, Dodappa Patil Gowda and R V Harish, claimed that their signatures had been forged and they had never quit.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Shriramulu has offered to resign, saying he is willing to make room for the dissident MLAs to save the state government.
Governor Bharadwaj had given Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa time till October 12 to prove his majority on the floor of the House.
A Raj Bhavan communication issued on Wednesday states that 14 BJP MLAs and 5 Independents have withdrawn their support from the government. This would mean that the BJP government in Karnataka has been reduced to a minority.
With 21 MLAs pulling out, the BJP government will have just 96 MLAs with it requires 113 to stay in power. However, the Yeddyurappa camp is hopeful that it will tide over the crisis and will be able to prove its majority.
Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa dropped four Independent ministers from his Cabinet earlier in the day. The ministers who have been dropped are Venkataramanappa, Shivaraj Thangadagi, D Sudhakar and P M Narendraswamy.
Addressing a press conference, where he announced the decision to drop 4 independent MLAs from his cabinet in order to accommodate the rebels who are camping in a Chennai resort, Yeddyurappa said more berths in the ministry would be created to accommodate the rebel candidates.
Yeddyurappa, however, warned all the rebel MLAs to either fall in line or face the anti-defection law, which will bar them from contesting any election for the next 6 years.
"It is better if all of you abide by the decision of the party or else you people won't be able to show your faces in your constituency," he added.
Rediff.com had earlier reported that Yeddyurappa's government could be headed for a major crisis as a number of rebel BJP MPs were set to quit, thereby reducing the government to a minority.
The JD-S, which smelt an opportunity, had also met the governor stating that they should be given the first preference to form an alternative government in Karnataka.
Yeddyurappa accused JD-S leader HD Kumaraswamy and his family of being behind this incident. He said that all attempts made by the JD-S to bring down the BJP government will fail.
The BJP will hold its legislative committee meeting on Saturday to issue a whip directing all MLAs to vote in favour of the party on October 11.
Sources in the BJP told rediff.com that a meeting to this effect will be convened and a whip issued in order to vote in favour of the party.
Sources say that the government will sail through and complete its term, as the general mood indicates that the rebels have softened their stand. The idea of handing over the resignation to the governor and reducing the government to a minority was more of a pressure tactic, sources add.