Bengaluru: With not one, but three of his staunchest supporters going back on their promise to resign as members of the Jagadish Shettar cabinet, and from the legislative assembly, former chief minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa had to finally call a halt to his quiet undermining of the BJP government, aimed at reducing it to a minority and scuppering the CM's signature budget session.
Sources in BSY's Karnataka Janata Party said that the original plan drawn up by Yeddyurappa would have seen Industries minister, Murugesh Nirani and Excise minister, M.P. Renukacharya resign on Monday afternoon. But the deadline passed with neither minister quitting.
“We counted on four MLAs – Srisailappa Bidaruru, Ramappa Lamani and two others – putting in their papers. But not one of them was willing,” sources said.
Shettar's second stroke of luck came with the Congress Legislature Party leader, Siddaramaiah and the JD(S) H.D. Revanna saying they would not move a no-confidence motion, nor back the other, if one of them did.
Finally, Shettar received support from Independent, Goolihatti Sekhar, who said that if push came to shove, the eight independents would bail the government out.