Karnataka govt will collapse before LS polls, 25 MLAs ready to quit, claims senior BJP MLA Yatnal

Senior BJP legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Monday claimed that Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka will collapse before Lok Sabha polls next year, as about 25 legislators from the ruling party are ready to quit.

The MLA from Bijapur (Vijayapura) City also expressed hope that the BJP will once again come back to power.

"Congress which says it has got 135 seats is unable to sleep; if 30 people go out, the government will fall. 25 people are ready. Some Ministers are behaving as though they have got all powers and are removing or transferring officials," Yatnal, a former Union Minister, said addressing a crowd here.

Alleging that Muslim officials are being posted in Vijayapura, he asked "What can you do by bringing in Muslims? I'm an MLA and they should abide by me.... If any official plays any drama to oppress Hindus...We will come back in January. You guarantee...it is till March. You will be out before Lok Sabha (polls). That's the reason both Ministers from Vijayapura, who were behaving as though they were flying high after coming to power, have now toned down.... they have realised that 35-40 people are ready. If 30-35 people are ready the government will go," he added.

Pointing to comments made by senior Congress MLAs like Basavaraj Rayareddy expressing displeasure about Karnataka becoming a 'corrupt state' and disgruntlement expressed during the recent legislature party meet regarding the functioning of Ministers, Yatnal said, "their own MLAs are speaking out."

"What they (Congress leaders) want is money, because they have spent during the election..." he said, alleging that large scale corruption in transfers and lack of funds for development due to 'guarantee schemes' (poll promises) have upset MLAs.

It can also be recalled that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar too had recently claimed that a plot was being hatched in Singapore to topple the government.