JOIN USEnergy Minister Shobha Karandlaje, Public Works Minister C M Udasi and some MLAs loyal to former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa are likely to resign on Wednesday but the resignations may stop short of toppling the Jagadish Shettar government.
In his third avowed attempt to dislodge the Shettar government, Yeddyurappa, unlike the previous two occasions (January 4 and 15) has not made it public, apparently to avoid the embarrassment he faced when his earlier threats fizzled out with legislators reluctant to resign.
On Wednesday, Karandlaje and Udasi are expected to put in their papers as ministers and later resign from the membership of the Assembly in the evening, followed by a formal announcement of their intention to join Yeddyurappa-founded KJP, sources said.
Both Shettar and Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah, to whom they have to submit their
resignation letters as ministers and MLAs respectively, will not be in Bangalore on Wednesday.
Karandlaje, addressing a press conference on Tuesday where she highlighted her achievements as Energy Minister in the last two and a half years, said she was “sad” about having to “lose” her department.
The exact number of legislators who may quit on Wednesday remained unclear with conflicting reports emerging from different sources. The number varied from just four to a high of 22.
However, two legislators—Nehru Olekar and B P Harish—have made it public that they will resign. The other names doing the rounds include M Chandrappa, Srishailappa Bidarur, D N Suresh, Suresh Gowda Patil, I S Chikkanagoudar, Basavaraj Patil Attur and G Shivanna.
Most of these legislators were incommunicado. Challakere MLA N Thippeswamy, who had identified himself with Yeddyurappa by attending the KJP executive meeting, said he was yet to decide his future course of action.
Another loyalist H Halappa said he would take a decision on Wednesday after meeting Yeddyurappa.
It is said that Yeddyurappa’s loyalists may meet over breakfast at Udasi’s residence in the city.