Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday said that the opposition is ready for a no-confidence motion, a day after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy made a surprise announcement in the Assembly that he would seek a trust vote.
"We have no objection to a no-confidence motion. We will wait until Monday, when we are ready to face the no-confidence motion," Yeddyurappa was quoted as saying by ANI.
The party will press Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to seek a trust vote in the Assembly on Monday, said Yeddyurappa. "On Monday morning at the Business Advisory Committee meeting, we will advise that the chief minister's commitment be fulfilled," he said.
According to sources, at the Business Advisory Committee meeting on Friday Kumaraswamy had proposed that the trust vote be held on Wednesday. But no decision was taken as the principal opposition BJP did not attend the meeting.
Pointing out that Kumaraswamy has clearly lost majority with the resignation of 16 MLAs and two independents withdrawing support, Yeddyurappa said it was better for him to resign and allow a new government to take over to work for the people of the state.
"The chief minister himself has said in the Assembly that without the support of MLAs, he would not like to continue and hence would be moving a motion seeking trust vote. Let us wait till Monday, if he is going to move confidence motion we have no objection. We will wait till Monday," he added.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leaders began back-channel negotiations to persuade the disgruntled MLAs who have resigned from the Assembly.
Congress troubleshooter and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar reached the residence of Housing Minister MTB Nagaraj at about 5 am on Saturday and camped there for almost four-and-a-half hours in order to pacify him.
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara reportedly also reached Nagaraj's house to convince him to withdraw the resignation. Nagaraj had resigned from the MLA post on Wednesday.
Nagaraj, one of the 16 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs who resigned from the Assembly, said senior Congress leaders met him and asked him to withdraw his resignation.
"Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao called me and requested me to withdraw the resignation and stay in the party. I have sought time to mull over it. I told them I will speak to Chikkaballapura MLA Sudhakar and persuade him to withdraw his resignation. We are planning to stay here only," Nagaraj said, flanked by Parameshwara, Shivakumar and other leaders.
A similar attempt was on to persuade MLAs Ramalinga Reddy, Munirathna and R Roshan Baig. Sources in JD(S) said Kumaraswamy is in direct talks with at least four Congress legislators, who have resigned, and was hopeful that they would withdraw their resignation.
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