Bangalore: The inaugural office-bearers meeting of the B S Yeddyurappa-led Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) on Friday could not take a final decision on continuing the support to the BJP government nor finalise any plan of action.
The meeting did attract 14 BJP MLAs, but did not create any ripples in the state as Mr Yeddyurappa failed to take a final decision on bringing down the government as it had claimed. The political resolution moved in the meeting was also not discussed completely.
No ministers supporting him came to the meeting.
Speaking to reporters Mr Yeddyurappa, however, said the fate of the government would be known by January 15 when MLAs in the government supporting him would take a ‘final and decisive’ decision.
“Till then I have asked my legislators to act like the opposition and bring out the faults in the state government,” he said.
The KJP President had earlier set a ‘deadline’ of January 4 and then had extended it to January 15 to topple the BJP government.
Mr Yeddyurappa, who was instrumental in bringing BJP to power for the first time in South India, had broken away from the party after being accused of involved in corruption cases and side- lined. He joined KJP.
“Our MLAs expressed their views today and they did not want this government to continue. It is the same as the people of the state who do not want the BJP government to continue as administration has come to a standstill. But we need to discuss this further and will take a final decision before January 15, a day after Shankranti festival,” Mr Yeddurappa explained.
He claimed that 40 to 50 Ministers and MLAs in the BJP government were supporting him. “These legislators are ready to come with me. They will take a decisive decision soon,” he claimed.
To a question Mr Yeddyurappa said, “I do not think Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar will be presenting the state budget in February. We will not wait till that time.”
The meeting took stock of the political situation and discussed organisational matters.
To another question he retorted that there was no drop in number of MLAs supporting him and it was the same number that attended the Haveri meeting last month. “Fourteen MLAs are enough to bring down this government,” he said.
BJP now has 119 members in the 224-member Assembly. Many of them who support Mr Yeddyurappa technically remain in the BJP and its government.
Mr Shettar, however, had dismissed the claims of Mr Yeddyurappa and had insisted that there was no danger to his government, it would complete its term and he would be presenting the state budget in February. (PTI)