Karnataka Janata Party leader B S Yeddyurappa, who seemed intent on toppling the Jagadish Shettar government, now appears to have changed his strategy.
The former chief minister had put Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar’s government in a tight spot by making 14 of his supporting MLAs, including two Cabinet Ministers, resign from their Assembly seats.
“There will be no more resignations,’’ Yeddyurappa said in an interview with the Express on Saturday.
“I don’t think so,’’ he said to a specific question on whether more of his supporters would quit the government and the Assembly during the final Assembly session of the BJP government beginning on Monday.
This has put an end to the speculation about political uncertainty which the Shettar government faced.
“I have a feeling and am confident that a large number of them (MLAs and BJP leaders) will join the KJP after the government completes its term,’’ he said.
According to him, leaders, particularly sitting MLAs, will desert the BJP after the government completes its term.
“Let us see how many will stay in the BJP,’’ he said, clarifying that all of those who resign from the BJP need not join the KJP.
“I am not saying that all those who will quit the BJP will join our party. They may join other parties as well. But the fact is that not many will stay in the BJP. A situation will arise where they (BJP) will need to search for proper candidates,’’ he said.
Asked what will be the fate of the BJP after the coming Assembly elections, Yeddyurappa replied in a flash saying it will be pushed to the fourth position.
Yeddyurappa, who is undertaking an extensive tour across the state to mobilise the rank and file of his new party ahead of the Assembly elections, said that the Congress will be his principal Opposition in the elections.