'BJP will take a call only after...': Yeddyurappa on Karnataka MLAs' resignation

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is watching the political developments in Karnataka and will decide its final move after the resignation of over a dozen ruling Congress-JDS lawmakers is formally accepted, said former chief minister and state unit chief BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday.

"Let's wait and watch. Are we sanyasis (hermits)? After the resignation process is over and the speaker takes his decision, leaders of our party will discuss and decide," the former chief minister was quoted as saying by news agency PTI in response to a question whether the BJP was preparing to form the government.

"Ours is a national party, after discussing with the national leadership, we will take a decision," he told reporters in Tumkur.

Asked whether the coalition government will collapse, he repeated, "Let's wait and watch".

The Congress-JDS coalition government in the state has plunged into a crisis, with 12 MLAs submitting their resignation to the Speaker on Saturday.

In all, 13 MLAs have submitted their resignations in the last one week. One of them happened to be a senior leader, former minister and long-time loyalist of the Congress party Ramalinga Reddy who had, on multiple occasions, expressed his disgruntlement over not being given a cabinet berth.

Those MLAs, who resigned from the Assembly, include BC Patil, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda, S Hebbar, Mahesh Kumatalli, Gopalayya, Ramesh Jharkiholi, and Pratap Gowda Patil. The dissident MLAs have reached Mumbai and are staying in resorts.

Congress MLA, Anand Singh, had submitted his resignation on July 1.

However, JD(S) MLA H Vishwanath said that 14 MLAs have jointly tendered their resignations to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and requested him to accept them. The Speaker has not yet accepted their resignations.

The ruling coalition, which has a strength of 118 in the 224-member assembly, faces the risk of losing its majority if the resignations are accepted.

With PTI Inputs