Karnataka crisis ends, 11 rebel BJP MLAs support Yeddyurappa govt

NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa triumphed in yet another face-off with Governor HR Bhardwaj with 11 rebel MLAs in the state on Sunday pledged their support to him.

The MLAs, whose disqualification by the assembly Speaker was quashed by the Supreme Court on Friday, wrote to Bhardwaj saying, “we confirm that we continue to be MLAs of the BJP and extend unqualified support to the Government led by BS Yeddyurappa.”

This ensures a comfortable majority for the Yeddyurappa Government, which already has the backing of 109 MLAs in the 224-member assembly.

Yeddyurappa needed the support of at least four members for a majority. Bhardwaj had brought his row with Yeddyurappa to the Capital on Saturday saying the apex court’s verdict was a stricture against the Chief Minister. Opposition Congress and JD-S demanded dismissal of the BJP Government saying it had lost majority. The Congress has 71 members and the JD-S 26. One seat is vacant.

The rebel MLAs also said in the letter that they were withdrawing the earlier letters sent to the Governor in October 2010 regarding the question of support to the Government led by Yeddyurappa.

The MLAs are planning to meet the governor and hand over individual letters of support to the Yeddyurappa Government. “There is no crisis in the BJP. Our strength has now swelled from 109 to 120. Yeddyurappa Government enjoys clear majority,” BJP leader Dhananjay Kumar told reporters here. Ten of the 11 MLAs, who were here, have faxed a letter to Raj Bhavan. The development followed talks with senior BJP leaders including Arun Jaitley on Saturday. The court’s verdict had come as a jolt for Yeddyurappa just when the party was celebrating its victory in assembly by-polls in the state.