Janata Dal-Secular leader and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy expressed confidence on Friday that the Bharatiya Janata Party rebels will align with him and vote against the state government during the crucial floor test on October 11.
Following a marathon meeting in Goa with the BJP rebels, Kumaraswamy said that he will bring them with him to Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, Karnataka tourism minister and senior BJP leader Janardhan Reddy also managed to meet with the rebel MLAs after high drama with the Goa government.
Reddy exuded confidence that he will bring at least 9 MLAs with him to Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, acting on a complaint by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on anti-party activities, Karnataka assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah on Friday served notices to 11 rebel Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs under the provisions of the anti-defection law.
The move was considered as a pressure tactic by the BJP to quell dissidence to save its tottering government.
Assembly Secretary S B Patil served notice on 11 dissident MLAs, including minister for excise M P Renukacharya. Patil said the MLAs on whom the notice has been issued have to meet the speaker before October 10 by 5 pm and tender their explanation, a day before Yeddyurappa would seek a confidence vote as per the instruction from the Governor H R Bhardwaj.
Another report stated that the BJP will issue whip to all its 116 MLAs and five independents in Karnataka.
Earlier, all the MLAs who are holed up in Goa have been giving conflicting views regarding the trust vote which is to be held on October 11t.
While BJP MLA Renukacharya said on Friday morning that there is no way in which he would topple the government, other MLAs such as Anand Asnotikar and B Jharkiholli have made it clear that they will not change their stand at any cost. They stressed that they will not support the Yeddyurappa government on October 11.
Renukacharya, who is leading the rebels and is currently in Goa, said that there was no crisis.
"We will all return to Bengaluru on Saturday and will support the government. We are all together and have no demands and there is no split in the party. I have grown in the party, thanks to Yeddyurappa, and there is no way in which I will let him down," he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP continued to protest the actions of the Goa government, 'which prevented their emissaries from meeting with the rebels.'
There was a face off between the Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik and Reddy on Thursday night with the former asking Reddy to leave. Reddy made it clear that no one could prevent him from meeting with his own legislators.
Senior BJP leader and former Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar assured on Friday that the ongoing Karnataka crisis will be solved by Saturday.
The JD-S, however, denied any truce within the BJP and said that they will meet the press in Goa along with the 14 rebel MLAs and show their strength.
