BJP MLA Tarikere Suresh, a B S Yeddyurappa loyalist, submitted his resignation from the Assembly on Friday. He is the 14th MLA to resign.
The resignations of Suresh and Vittal Katakadona are now pending with Speaker K G Bopaiah for acceptance.
Katakadonda’s resignation was not accepted on technical grounds when he submitted it with 12 other MLAs on Tuesday.
If both resignations are accepted, the strength of the ruling BJP in the Assembly will come down to 106 including independent MLA Varthur Prakash, nominated member Derrick Fullinfaw and Speaker Bopaiah. In the 225 member Assembly, Congress has 71 MLAs, JD(S) 26, independents 6 and 14 seats are vacant.
If four more MLAs resign Jagadish Shettar’s government will be reduced to a minority and he will have to depend on the support of either independents or JD(S) members to realise his wish to present his maiden budget on February 8.
Suresh had to go all the way to Madikeri to hand over his resignation as Bopaiah was not at the headquarters. He was accompanied by former MLA B P Harish.
Bopaiah however said that he would decide on Suresh’s resignation after returning to Bangalore on Monday.
Suresh was one of the 13 BJP MLAs who made a vain bid to resign on January 23. However, he could not accompany the 12 MLAs who resigned on Tuesday as he had been to Shirdi on a pilgrimage.
Earlier in the day, Suresh had been to the Speaker’s office at Vidhana Soudha to submit his resignation. Since the latter was not in office, he left his resignation with the Assembly secretary Omprakash, although Omprakash refused to accept it stating that he had no powers to do so.
“I am resigning as I want to join the KJP led by Yeddyurappa and work to strengthen it,” Suresh announced.