Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda’s government in Karnataka on Friday plunged into a crisis as nine ministers from his Cabinet, belonging to former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s camp, resigned.
The nine ministers who have handed over their resignation papers to the CM are Jagadish Shettar, C M Udasi, Basavaraj
Bommai, V Somanna, Shobha Karandlaje, M P Renukacharya, Umesh Katti, Revu Nayak Belmagi and Murugesh Nirani. Minister Raju Gouda has also reportedly expressed his wish to follow the suit, sources said.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the CM, Bommai said, “The party high command is aware of the present situation and we hope that they would intervene immediately.” “We hope that the CM will accept out resignations. There is no question of taking it back,’’ said Somanna.
“This is not a pressure tactic to force the High Command to act now,” the dissident leaders said.
Soon after submitting their papers, the ministers stopped using their official vehicles. Now the ball is in the CM’s court.
The decision of the ministers to resign enmass has put the Chief minister in a spot and he is likely to seek guidance from the Central party leaders on the future course of action.
Only on Thursday, Sadananda Gowda had ruled out the possibility of change in leadership and said that he would complete the full term. He had also dismissed the rumour over change of guard as ‘mere speculation’.
However, State BJP president K S Eshwarappa, who is in New Delhi, has maintained that there will be no change of leadership.
Eshwarappa who had held talks with Dharmendra Pradhan, State party incharge, said that “I have not come across any feeling from the party high command in favour of changing the leader.”
Eshwarappa said he will discuss about the resignation issue after he returns to Bangalore.