Bangalore/Davangere/New Delhi, Jan 27 : Asserting that his government still enjoyed a majority even after 13 BJP MLAs announced their resignation, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar today said he is ready to face a no-confidence motion, if the opposition moves it.
“I have majority. There is no threat to the government. I am ready to face a no-confidence motion if the opposition moves it,” he told reporters at Honnali, 60 km away from Davanagere in the presence of Excise minister M P Renukacharya, a staunch Yedyurappa loyalist.
Shettar said he would be leaving for Delhi today to meet newly elected BJP President Rajnat Singh.
The Shettar government's very survival is at stake after 13 MLAs loyal to Karnataka Janata Party chief and former BJP strongman B S Yeddyurappa announced their decision to quit assembly membership.
Their bid to submit their resignations to Speaker K G Bopaiah on Jan 23 was in vain as he was not in station, an issue over which they cried foul and petitioned Governor H R Bhardwaj to whom they submitted copies of resignation letters.
Bhardwaj had stated yesterday that the Shettar government still enjoyed a majority and as leader of the BJP legislature party, it was left left to him to take action on the issue of resignation by 13 MLAs.
Bopaiah, who is in Madikeri, will return to the city tomorrow.
Sources in the KJP said that apart from the 13 MLAs who are ready to quit their assembly membership, eight more are likely to join them.
But BJP leaders are engaged in hectic parleys to prevent them from resigning.
The BJP wants to ensure that the budget session starting from February 4 passes off without any trouble.
A New Delhi report says, Jagadish Shettar is likely to meet BJP president Rajnath Singh tomorrow to discuss the future course of action in the wake of 13 MLAs loyal to B S Yeddyurappa announcing their decision to quit.
The meeting comes in wake of Singh making clear to Shettar last Friday not to compromise on the BJP's principles even if it threatens the survival of the government in the southern state.
The party has, however, claimed that it is confident of overcoming the crisis.
Thirteen MLAs loyal to Karnataka Janata Party chief Yeddyurappa had gone in a delegation last Wednesday to meet Speaker K G Bopaiah to submit their resignation from Assembly membership.
As Bopaiah was not present, they had later submitted copies of their resignation letters to Governor H R Bhardwaj.
In the 225-member Karnataka Assembly, BJP has a strength of 117 excluding the Speaker and requires 113 for a simple majority. Congress has 71 members and JDS 26. There are seven Independents and two vacancies. One member is nominated
