As many as 23 MLAs, including seven Ministers, three MPs, five MLCs and 10 chairpersons of boards and corporations participated in the breakfast meeting called at MLC Shivaraj Sajjanar’s residence in Haveri on Sunday before the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa took over the reins of the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP).
The Yeddyurappa camp had claimed that 50 MLAs and 15 Ministers would participate in the breakfast meeting. Those who participated sent a clear signal to the BJP’s leadership that they were not afraid of any action against them.
On Saturday, the BJP leadership dismissed Cooperation Minister B.J. Puttaswamy and suspended Tumkur MP G.S. Basavaraj, both supporters of Mr. Yeddyurappa.
While Mr. Puttaswamy said he was pained by the manner in which the Chief Minister had acted against him, Mr. Basavaraj lambasted BJP State unit president K.S. Eshwarappa for his actions.
Barring Sunil Valyapure, who resigned as Minister for Infrastructure Development on Sunday, Ministers C.M. Udasi, Basavaraj Bommai, Shobha Karandlaje, Murugesh Nirani, M.P. Renukacharya and Revu Naik Belamagi chose not to speak to journalists. They said they had come to Mr. Sajjanar’s house as he had invited them for breakfast.
‘Pained’
Mr. Valyapure said he quit as Minister as he was pained by the ongoing developments in the State BJP unit. He said he tendered the resignation on his own and nobody had asked him to do so. He clarified that he had only quit the Ministry and not the membership of the Legislative Assembly.
Challenge
Addressing journalists outside Mr. Sajjanar’s residence, Mr. Yeddyurappa challenged the BJP central leadership to dissolve the Assembly and seek a fresh mandate.
The entire State knows how many elected representatives were supporting him, he said, and added that the BJP government was surviving only because of the support of his followers.
