Published 21:06 IST, January 30th 2021
'Karnataka to get new CM after April 13' claims BJP MLA as pressure builds on Yediyurappa
On Saturday, BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal predicted that a new leader will over as the Karnataka CM after April 13 when the state celebrates New Year.
On Saturday, senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal predicted that a new leader will take over as the Karnataka CM after April 13 when the state celebrates New Year. A vocal critic of BS Yediyurappa, Yatnal recently alleged "step-motherly" treatment meted out to some constituencies besides flagging the purported interference of the CM's son BY Vijayendra in the administration. Speaking to the media in Vijayapura, the Bijapur City MLA claimed that a leader from north Karnataka would replace Yediyurappa after which he can be inducted as a Minister into the state Cabinet. Earlier, Yatnal had stirred controversy by claiming that three MLAs had become Ministers in the recent Cabinet expansion after blackmailing the Karnataka CM using secret CDs.
PTI reported BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal as saying, "I will not go with open hands seeking a Minister's post here onwards. I have said one of our own will come in place (of CM) who can give the Minister's post. I have said that someone from north Karnataka will come.. it will happen...wait and watch."
Political situation in Karnataka
While BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly election, Yediyurappa had to resign merely two days after taking oath as the CM owing to his party's inability to muster a majority in the state Assembly. Kumaraswamy was sworn-in as the CM on May 23, 2018, after JD(S) and Congress stitched a post-poll alliance. The infighting within the alliance intensified after BJP swept Karnataka in the 2019 General Election by winning 25 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats. The crisis for the coalition government commenced on July 6, 2019, when 12 legislators submitted their resignations to the Karnataka Speaker's office.
Soon, the number of rebel MLAs swelled to 17 which led to Governor Vajubhai Vala asking the government to prove its majority on the floor of the House. As a three-judge Supreme Court bench refused to compel the rebel MLAs to attend the Assembly proceedings, the JD(S)-Congress government lost the trust vote on July 23, 2019. Three days later, Yediyurappa was sworn-in as the CM for the 4th time. After BJP won 12 out of the 15 by-elections conducted in December 2019, BJP managed to get a simple majority in the Karnataka Assembly. However, Yediyurappa has faced problems in expanding the Cabinet and allocating portfolios. For instance, he had to redistribute ministerial portfolios 4 times in a span of 5 days after multiple Ministers expressed their disgruntlement.
Updated 21:06 IST, January 30th 2021