Remarking that Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar may not be able to present the State budget, the former Chief Minister and Karnataka Janata Paksha president B.S. Yeddyurappa on Friday said a decision on toppling the Shettar government would be taken by BJP MLAs loyal to him on January 15.
In fact, such a decision on the fate of the Shettar government was supposed to have been taken on Friday going by the earlier statement of Mr. Yeddyurappa.
However, the decision has now been put off to January 15 after a meeting of the KJP executive committee here on Friday, which saw the participation of 14 BJP MLAs.
Briefing presspersons after the meeting, Mr. Yeddyurappa said all those who attended the meeting had demanded that Mr. Shettar government not be allowed to continue even for a single minute. “However, we have chosen to wait till January 15 as the auspicious season would begin then,” he said.
He said the decision on pulling down the Shettar government would be taken in consultation with not only the MLAs who attended the KJP executive committee meeting, but also with Ministers and other MLAs who have identified themselves with him.
Accusing the BJP of ignoring the development of the State and welfare of its people, he said the KJP wanted to make a decision on the fate of the Shettar government in the interest of the State.
When asked if his supporters were in a dilemma on bringing down the Shettar government and did that force him to put off the crucial decision to January 15, he shot back: “There is no dilemma. My supporters (MLAs) are ready to resign even now.”
The MLAs who attended the executive committee meeting were: Holalkere Chandrappa, Nehru Olekar, Thippeswamy, H. Halappa, B.P. Harish, Srishylappa Bidarur, Tarikere Suresh, Basavaraj Patil Attur, Suresh Gowda Patil, Chikkanagoudar, Ramappa Lamani, Sunil Vallyapure, G. Shivaram and Vittal Katakdonda,
‘No caretaker CM’
Meanwhile, accusing Mr. Shettar of considering the option of dissolving the Assembly as a ploy to remain as caretaker Chief Minister till Assembly elections, the KJP executive committee on Friday hoped that Governor H.R. Bhardwaj will take cognisance of this and prevent the Chief Minister from clinging on to power.
In a resolution adopted in this regard, the KJP said it would be unconstitutional if the Governor gave an opportunity for Mr. Shettar to continue in power as car-taker Chief Minister as “he has lost majority.”
The resolution stated that Mr. Shettar had taken up the “suicidal path” of acting against the chiefs of boards and corporations who had identified with Mr. Yeddyurappa.
In another resolution, the KJP warned of launching a Statewide agitation if adequate funds were not released for the welfare schemes introduced by Mr. Yeddyurappa when he was the Chief Minister.
