New Delhi/Bangalore, July 2 (IANS) The political crisis in Karnataka was heading towards a solution, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Monday after nine ministers loyal to former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa withdrew their resignations.
The nine ministers quit Friday demanding that Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda be ousted and another Yeddyurappa loyalist, Jagadish Shettar, take his place instead.
Dharmesh Pradhan, in-charge of BJP affairs in Karnataka, announced in the national capital that “the ministers who had resigned, after discussions with the high command, have withdrawn their resignations unconditionally”.
He added that “appropriate action” would be taken at the “appropriate time”.
“We are heading towards a political solution in Karnataka. The chief minister has also expressed his happiness that the ministers have joined back,” he told reporters.
“The party high command is taking stock of the situation.”
The central leadership, including party president Nitin Gadkari, has been opposwed to the demand that Gowda be removed as chief minister.
The crisis, party insiders said, was averted after senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley talked to the rebel ministers.
Gowda, who is on his way to Delhi to attend Gadkari’s son’s wedding reception Monday evening, said in Bangalore that he would discuss the crisis with the central leadership.
“My central leadership called me to have a dialogue on this crisis,” Gowda told reporters in Bangalore before leaving for Delhi.
Said state Water Resources Minister and Yeddyurappa loyalist Basavaraj Bommai: “We decided to withdraw the resignations following the assurance from our (BJP) high command that this will facilitate resolution of the crisis.”
The ministers who had submitted their resignations were Jagadish Shettar, Raju Gowda, Basavaraj Bommai (water resources), C.M. Udasi (public works), Murugesh Nirani (industries), V. Somanna (housing), Umesh Katti (agriculture), Revu Naik Belamagi (libraries and animal husbandry) and M.P. Renukacharya (excise).
The dissidents had released a list of 51 party assembly members, including the nine ministers, 13 legislative council members and eight members of parliament who attended a meeting at Shettar’s residence in Bangalore.