BJP MLAs want party to withdraw support in Karnataka

BANGALORE: A majority of BJP legislators in Karnataka on Friday favoured the party leadership decide on withdrawing support to the JD(S)-led coalition government as chances of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy transferring power to the saffron party receded fast.

At a meeting of the ministers representing BJP in the coalition government and party legislators, chaired by Chief Ministerial candidate B S Yediyurappa, a majority of them pushed for pulling out of the government and facing mid-term polls, a senior leader told PTI on condition of anonymity.

As the ministers and legislators expressed displeasure over the charges levelled by JD(S) against the party to "cover up" its failure on power transfer, Yediyurappa and other senior leaders pacified them and chose to wait till Saturday for the outcome of the dialogue between BJP President Rajnath Singh and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda.

Meanwhile, Yediyurappa, who returned here from Delhi last night, told reporters that "if JDS does not want to transfer power and want to go to people's court, we (BJP) are also ready".

Assailing the "excuses" being cited by JD(S) leaders on power transfer and taking a swipe at them, Yediyurappa said "I am also a son of the soil. I am a firm believer in the preaching of Basaveswara and do not know the art of cheating. I do what I say".

Yediyurappa said his party would take a final decision on the ongoing power transfer crisis in the face of JD(S)'s reluctance to honour its promise after the meeting between leaders of both parties.