Thaindian News

Bangalore, March 20 (IANS) A majority of Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators supporting former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa boycotted the assembly session that began here Tuesday.

The boycott was led by Yeddyurappa who is demanding that he be made chief minister again as the high court March 7 quashed the mining bribery case filed against him on the basis of last July’s Lokayukta report.

Yeddyurappa, claiming the support of 70 of the party’s 120 members in the 225-member assembly, has set a Tuesday evening deadline for the party’s central leaders to remove his successor D.V. Sadananda Gowda from the post.

Gowda is to present the budget Wednesday.

Water Resources Minister Basavaraj Bommai told reporters at a resort on Bangalore’s outskirts that only a few ministers and legislators supporting Yeddyurappa would attend the 10-day budget session.

He said BJP national leaders were in constant touch with Yeddyurappa over his demand for reinstatement.

Yeddyurappa and his supporters have been camping at the resort since Sunday night as part of the pressure tactics to achieve his demand.

Sources in the Yeddyurappa camp said the former chief minister has placed several conditions to attend the session. They include announcement of the date for meeting of the party’s legislature wing to elect a new leader and Gowda’s resignation a day prior to the meeting.

The assembly was adjourned for the day after condoling the death of senior state BJP leader and higher education minister V.S. Acharya. Acharya, 71, died Feb 17 following a heart attack.