The group owing allegiance to municipal administration minister Balachandra Jarkiholi, is staunchly backing Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda in the leadership tussle which may make it difficult for the BJP top brass to replace him with a B.S. Yeddyurappa loyalist. Mr Jarkiholi, who claims to have 13 MLAs on his side, has made it clear to the BJP central leadership that the legislators will submit their resignations to the Assembly Speaker if the party removes Sadananda Gowda from the top post. ‘You need 113 MLAs to form a government in Karnataka but a mere 13 can bring it down,” Mr Jarkiholi said.
The Jarkiholi faction has reasons to be sore with Mr Yeddyurappa. During a trust vote in the Assembly a couple of years ago which he won, BSY had ensured the exit of Jarkiholi and his men from the Assembly with Speaker K.G. Bopaiah disqualifying them. They returned to the Assembly after a protracted legal battle but ties between BSY and this group from north Karnatka have never been cordial since then.
Mr Jarkiholi said, “I am in touch with the high command and requested them not to take a hasty decision on changing the CM at a time when the government is in the last phase of its tenure. The BSY group has been pressurising me to support rural development minister Jagadish Shettar for the CM's post. I have made it clear to them that I will not support any move to remove Sadananda Gowda..” Mr Jarkiholi has other reasons too for not backing any BSY nominee including Mr Shettar. He suspects that even if Mr Shettar replaces Mr Gowda, BSY will not allow him to last long as he is the tallest BJP leader from the Lingayat community.