Karnataka: all BJP Ministers resign but CM isn146;t signing

Ratcheting up the pressure on coalition partner Janata Dal Secular to ensure power transfer as agreed 20 months ago...

Ratcheting up the pressure on coalition partner Janata Dal Secular to ensure power transfer as agreed 20 months ago, all 19 BJP ministers in the JDS-BJP government in Karnataka submitted their resignations to Chief Minister and JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy tonight. Kumaraswamy signalled that he wasn8217;t exactly impressed: calling this move 8220;childish,8221; he said that the resignations would be discussed at a JDS national executive meeting on October 5.

8220;The BJP has done this without holding talks with us. They have only been speaking through the media. What was supposed to be a smooth transfer of power has been complicated by their actions,8221; Kumaraswamy said. 8220;At no point have I said there will be no power transfer. They have acted hastily and they will have to be responsible for any future consequences.8221;

Deputy Chief Minister and the CM-in-waiting BJP leader B S Yediyurappa said the party would like to continue in the government and would wait until October 5 8212; the day the JDS meets 8212; to decide on the power transfer issue. 8220;The Chief Minister has accepted our resignations, he told us that we should wait for the JDS national executive to decide on the issue. We have informed our national leaders about his message,8221; Yediyurappa said. The BJP parliamentary board will meet on October 4 to finalise its strategy.

The BJP is hardening its stand as well. A senior BJP leader said the party would not do anything to precipitate matters and there is 8220;nothing like withdrawing support on the midnight of October 38221; 8212; that was the date as per the original agreement 8212; but the crisis could 8220;linger on for a few days before we part ways8230;One thing we are clear about is that the BJP will not continue to support a JDS-led government under any circumstances8230;We will let Deve Gowda make the first move.8221;

A covering letter with the resignations, signed by the BJP state president D V Sadananda Gowda and addressed to Kumaraswamy, states: 8220;It is appropriate that your kind self demits office and allow the leader of the Karnataka BJP legislature party B S Yediyurappa to assume the office of CM as per our agreement8230;Public life is built on the edifice of mutual trust, I fervently appeal to you to honour and abide by the agreement.8221;

Earlier, the BJP, after a meeting of its MPs, MLAs, and other party members and affiliates decided to go ahead with the resignations as announced on Monday night. 8220;Today is the deadline for power transfer. Since we have not heard from the JDS, all ministers will proceed to meet the Chief Minister and hand over their resignations. If the Chief Minister sees reason, the government will continue,8221; BJP central leader and party in-charge for Karnataka Yashwant Sinha said after the BJP meeting.

BJP sources said that although officially the party would wait for a word from the JDS on October 5, it will also closely monitor developments over the next 24 hours. They expressed apprehension that an application for disqualification of JDS MLAs for allying with the BJP made in February 2006 could be used as a weapon by JDS national president H D Deve Gowda in the event of power transfer. The disqualification application is to be taken up by the Assembly Speaker on October 6. Meanwhile, Deve Gowda and BJP president Rajnath Singh had a telephonic conversation today although there was no sign of a breakthrough.

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Earlier in the day, reacting to the BJP setting today8217;s deadline for power transfer, Kumaraswamy said that setting deadlines would hamper the power transfer process. He cited the example of J038;K where power transition from the PDP to the Congress took nearly three months. 8220;It is better these decisions are not taken in haste. Such a step will not be in the interest of both the parties,8221; he said. The Congress, which has announced no alignment with either the JDS or the BJP, said it was now adopting a 8220;wait-and-watch attitude.8221;