Two BSY-loyalist Ministers quit, give jolt to Karnataka BJP govt

In a development that could trigger fresh crisis for ruling BJP in Karnataka, two Ministers loyal to the B S Yeddyurappa-led Karnataka Janata Party today resigned from the Jagadish Shettar Ministry.

Public Works Minister C M Udasi and Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje handed over their resignations to the Chief Minister this morning.

Official sources said the resignation letters have been sent to Governor H R Bhardwaj for acceptance.

Udasi said they have been hurt by the attitude of Shettar towards MLAs and Ministers supporting Yeddyurappa, adding, the time has come to build KJP.

"Though we had indicated that we are going to submit resignation, we are getting information that the Speaker (K G Bopaiah) is out of station", Udasi said, adding, he, Shobha and a few MLAs would submit their resignation from Assembly membership to the Speaker's office later today.

Haveri MLA Nehru Olekar, a staunch Yeddyurappa loyalist, termed the "foreign tour" of the Speaker as political "strategy" of the BJP to scuttle the plans of Yeddyurappa-supporting MLAs and Ministers (who wanted to resign).

He said in case the Speaker's office hesitates to accept the resignation letters, they would meet Bhardwaj.

A cloud of uncertainty has been hanging over the Shettar ministry ever since Yeddyurappa quit the party to float his KJP in December last. The former BJP strongman has repeatedly put the government on notice about their stability, claiming support of 20-30 BJP MLAs.

Yeddyurappa's party had set two deadlines earlier to unseat the government but they turned out to be a damp squib.

Brushing aside the threats to his government, Shettar had said he would present the state budget on February 8, the last ahead of assembly polls due in May.