Protests as BJP minister makes way for JDS MLA

Continuing efforts to strengthen numbers of the B S Yeddyurappa-lead Government, the BJP will induct another JD(S) legislator...

Continuing efforts to strengthen numbers of the B S Yeddyurappa-lead Government, the BJP will induct another JD(S) legislator, who resigned as MLA, into its Cabinet on Wednesday.

However, with widespread protests over Horticulture Minister S K Bellubi, a Lingayat leader, being asked to vacate his post to enable the entry of Umesh Katti, another Lingayat leader from the JD(S), the BJP has also decided to put on hold efforts to poach more willing MLAs from the Congress and the JD(S).

With the ministerial strength of the BJP at a maximum of 34, Chief Minister Yeddyurappa asked Bellubi, a loyalist and long-time party worker, to step down and enable the induction of Katti. While Bellubi did not show any reluctance to step down, his supporters staged protests in his Basavana Bagewadi constituency of Bijapur district, with five persons even attempting suicide.

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Bellubi handed over his resignation on Sunday and is likely to be given the reins of a board or corporation in the state. Katti, who is from Belgaum, was expected to take oath on Monday, but the swearing in has been deferred till Wednesday as the Governor is out of town.

With Katti’s exit, the combined strength of the Opposition Congress and JD(S) has fallen to 101 vis-à-vis the BJP strength of 116 — including six Independents — in an Assembly where the simple majority mark is 113. When the Assembly election results were announced, the Opposition strength was 108 with the Congress holding 90 seats and the JD(S) 28 seats.