Yediyurappa says 'Will resign as Karnataka CM if BJP high command says so' amid rebellion

In a bombshell announcement, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa on Sunday, said that he was ready to resign from his post if the party High command wishes so. Yediyurappa said that there were several alternatives to him in BJP, saying he did not wish to criticize any of his peers who were rebelling against him. Yediyurappa has been facing dissent in his ranks since the cabinet expansion in January.

Yediyurappa: 'Will resign as CM if Delhi command wishes me to do so'

"I don't want to comment on anything. But until the Delhi command believes in my abilities, I will continue as CM. On the day when they ask me to resign, I will resign on that day and will start working for the development of the state," said Yediyurappa. When asked about rebellion in BJP ranks against him, he said, "I don't want to criticize anybody. I won't accept there are no alternative leaders in the party. Until the party trusts me, I will continue to be in power."

Backing Yediyurappa's continued CM term, his deputy Dr CN Ashwathnarayan said, "There is no question of him (CM Yediyurappa) stepping down. No such discussions are happening. He only made a statement that he is willing to abide by whatever decision the party takes as he is a disciplined soldier of party". Recently, Union Minister Prahlad Joshi categorically stated that there was no question of replacing Yediyurappa as the CM after two BJP MLAs - Yogeeshwara and  Arvind Bellad visited Delhi to complain about the CM's style of functioning. The Central leadership refused to meet them and told them not to raise the issue again.

Recently, Yediyurappa's closest aide from Shivamogga -  BJP minister K S Eshwarappa complained to Governor Vajubhai Vala accusing the CM of 'interfering in the affairs of his cabinet'. Citing several rules of Karnataka government transaction 1977, Eshwarappa alleged that the CM had sanctioned Rs 774 crores under his department - Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, without his approval.  BJP leader Basanagouda R Patil has repeatedly claimed that only those who blackmailed the CM "with a CD" were inducted in cabinet, predicting a change in leadership.

Rift in Karnataka cabinet

In January, days after reshuffling his cabinet, Yediyurappa reorganized some of the portfolios allocated to the seven newly inducted ministers after four cabinet ministers - JC Madhuswamy, MTB Nagaraja, K Sudhakar and K Gopalaiah complained of the reshuffled portfolios. Apart from JC Madhuswamy, the other three ministers recently jumped ship from Congress and JDS respectively - propping up the Yediyurappa government. After waiting for a year, Karnataka CM Yediyurappa inducted seven legislators namely - MTB Nagaraj, R Shankar, CP Yogeshwar, Umesh Katti, Arvind Limbavali, Murugesh Nirani, S Angara into his cabinet on January 13. Senior BJP ministers like Anand Singh, CC Patil, Kota Srinivas Poojari, Prabhu Chauhan, A Shivaram Hebbar too had to let go of several key ministries to the new inductees leading to discontent in the Karnataka BJP camp. Yediyurappa formed his government on August 26, 2019 with the help of 16 rebels who switched from Congress & JDS.