The state government has plunged into a crisis after 14 dissident MLAs -- 11 from the Congress and three from the Janaat Dal-Secular -- resigned and two independents withdrew support.
Amid indications that the BJP high command may ask him to step down in the wake of alleged land scams, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa left for Puttaparthi on Monday to "seek the blessings" of Sri Satya Sai Baba.
'It's our duty to arrange food and other things for them. Some of them have diabetes and BP, that's why we arranged everything here'
2 office bearers each from Yeddyurappa and Eshwarappa camps have been relieved.
While the Congress has found success in scoring over the BJP on Twitter and Facebook, it has failed to match the Sangh Parivar's finesse at utilizing WhatsApp as its primary medium to send its message across to the Karnataka electorate, reports Archis Mohan.
The development has come in the backdrop of Yediyurappa openly seeking JD-S support.
The Congress-Janata Dal-Secular coalition faces the threat of losing its majority in the assembly if the resignations are accepted as its current tally is 116 in the 224 member House.
The Congress on Friday sought to embarrass the Bharatiya Janata Party over the delay in B S Yeddyurappa's removal as Karnataka chief minister, asking whether the party was looking for an auspicious date and time for the embattled CM to resign.
With his party's government in Karnataka in throes of a burgeoning crisis over B S Yeddyurappa's demand for his reinstatement as chief minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari on Monday said no decision would be taken under pressure and asked him to have patience.
20 lawmakers did not turn up on Thursday, including 17 from the ruling coalition, 12 of whom are corralled in a hotel in Mumbai, as the House debated in a surcharged atmosphere.
Yeddyurappa told reporters that an inquiry had found the documents, cited by Surjewala, as 'fake' and threatened to file a defamation case.
'The message they want to send to the country is that they can do anything by hook or crook'
'Both Modi and Shah know the importance attached by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita to self-introspection (swadhyay) as one of the virtues of wise leaders.' 'From the way both leaders are painting the BJP's performance in the Karnataka election, one can only conclude that they have flunked Lord Krishna's test,' says B S Raghavan, the distinguished civil servant.
Yeddyurappa termed the Congress a "sinking ship" and asked his party men to work hard to realise PM Modi's dream of "Congress-free India".
In a notice issued to Congress MLAs, CLP leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah warned that absence of MLAs at Friday's meeting would be viewed 'seriously'.
He also attacked Modi on the CBSE question papers leak and on the 'leak' of assembly election date for Karnataka, saying Modi was silent on these issues too.
Janata Dal-United chief Sharad Yadav on Wednesday disapproved the decision of the National Democratic Alliance ally Bharatiya Janata Party to allow Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to continue in office and said words should match deeds in the fight against corruption.
The dissidence-hit Bharatiya Janata Party's Karnataka unit presented a picture of unity on Monday, with rebel leaders joining Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa at a meeting to ask partymen to work for the victory of party candidates in the April 9 bypolls to three assembly constituencies.
Unfazed by Yeddyurappa's unceremonious exit, the BJP on Thursday fielded its senior leader S Suresh Kumar, a fifth term MLA, for the post of the Speaker whose election will precede the trust vote.
"This is not the appropriate time to be going ahead with political programmes., However, what really shocked us was as at this point in time when the nation is looking towards its leadership, when the nation wants its leadership to speak to it, the prime minister chooses to address the booth workers of the BJP rather than address the nation," said the Congress.
If the Cauvery water-sharing dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu -- dating back to 1892 between the erstwhile Madras Presidency under the British Raj and the princely Mysore state -- has exploded again into a war, the discord between Karnataka and Goa over dividing the water of the Mahadayi river simmers under the surface.
The embattled Janata Dal-Secular leader also said he was ready for everything and that he was not here to cling to power.
According to Congress sources, few ministers from the party have even offered to step down in the larger interest and to keep the coalition intact.
'Voters did not turn up in large numbers in Bangalore.' 'If more voters of Bangalore had come to vote, we would definitely have reached the magic figure.'
The Bharatiya Janata Party high command has issued an ultimatum to Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to put in his papers by 10 am on Monday, according to sources in the party.
Gowda explained that G T Devegowda intended to say that the JD-S would not oppose every move of BJP just for the heck of it.
Kumaraswamy made the stunning claim that the BJP offered the MLAs of his party Rs 100 crore and ministerial berths.
A last ditch attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to refrain Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde from resigning has failed. State BJP unit chief K S Eshwarappa, Home Minister Dr V S Acharya and Law Minister Suresh Kumar met Justice Hegde and asked him to reconsider his decision, but the Lokayukta averred that he will not change his mind.
Ahead of the assembly elections next year, the BJP has been wallowing in a welter of ideas that has resurrected the debate on populism versus pragmatism, as it has to pander to two important but incompatible constituencies, of the freebie consuming masses and Bengaluru's heavy hitters craving for even roads, pristine lakes and unbroken power supply, reports Radhika Ramaseshan.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has hit back at the Karnataka Janatha Party, which recently made some serious allegations against the party's top leaders, including L K Advani.
He, however, reiterated his allegation that the BJP was trying to lure MLAs of the ruling combine.
The BJP will do a 'Munnabhai' over former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda using unparliamentary language against Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, bysending him a 'get well soon' message.
Seeking the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yedyurappa, the Communist party of India-Marxist on Friday asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to take "full responsibility" for installing a government backed by the mining mafia.
'... in the form of possible payments to MLAs and horse-trading for the BJP to win.'
Bharatiya Janata Party's national leaders would meet senior party leaders of Karnataka on October 30 in New Delhi to work out a strategy to placate disgruntled party strongman B S and ensure that he does not quit the party, BJP state president K S Eshwarappa said on Saturday.
Yeddyurappa would take the oath alone as the chief minister and once the majority is proved on the floor of the assembly, cabinet members would be inducted.
"Without the knowledge of the prime minister, is it possible to do this," Kumaraswamy asked, saying Modi should come clean on the issue.
The apex court made it clear that it would deal with the constitutionality of the Governor's letter inviting Yeddyurappa to form the government later.
BJP said if voted to power, it would bring out a 'white paper' on the financial health of the state under the Congress rule.
Siddaramaiah asserted that the Karnataka government was a 'strong' one and ridiculed state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa for repeatedly claiming that the coalition will collapse.
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