K'taka crisis: Let's wait and watch, says Yedyurappa as Cong gets into huddle

Senior Bharatiya Janta Party leader BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday denied responsibility for the crisis within the ruling coalition - JD(S) and Congress- in Karnataka and asked people to "wait and watch". Congress and JD(S) has been blaming BJP of poaching its MLAs.

Karnataka:With Karnataka's ruling alliance, Janta Dal (Secular)-Congres, blaming the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) of poaching 11 of its MLAs, who tendered their resignation to the Speaker on Saturday, senior BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday denied involvement in the crisis within the coalition and asked people to "wait and watch".

"I am going to Tumkur and I will come back at 4 pm. You know about the political developments. Let's wait and see. I am nowhere related to this," said Yeddyurappa while speaking to the media.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy also tendered his resignation along with ten others, the party leadership reportedly tried to persuade the veteran politician to withdraw his resignation.

Responding to Reddy's resignation, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Ramalinga Reddy Ji is a senior leader and a Congressman. For long he has been holding Congress's fort in Bengaluru. Let us see what are his grievances and what we can do."

On being asked about the possibility of him becoming the state's Chief Minister, Kharge said, "I do not know. I want this alliance government to continue. We want that this should go on smoothly. These are all flimsy information being fed to the press just to divide us."

The strength of the ruling coalition in Karnataka has now come down to 105, which is eight short of the half-way mark of 113.

Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned from the government earlier this week.

Those MLAs, who resigned from the Assembly, include BC Patil, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda, S Hebbar, Mahesh Kumatalli, Gopalayya, Ramesh Jharkiholi, and Pratap Gowda Patil. The dissident MLAs late on Saturday arrived in Mumbai and are staying at a hotel.