'Karnataka crisis will be resolved smoothly', assures BJP leadership to Gowda

Bangalore, June 30 (ANI): Karnataka Chief Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda on Saturday said that he has been assured by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari and party national general secretary in-charge for Karnataka, Dharmendra Pradhan, that the ongoing political turmoil in the state will be resolved smoothly.

Gowda, who met Karnataka Governor H.R. Bharadwaj at the Raj Bhavan here today, discussed the fresh crisis in his government.

"I also discussed with him the present political scenario, wherein I received nine resignations from my Cabinet colleagues. And yesterday night, I had a detailed discussion with the party president and our state in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan. They have expressed that everything will be resolved smoothly," he said.

" Dharmendra Pradhan is coming here. Afterwards the matter will be discussed and we will take the decision," he added.

The crisis in the Karnataka BJP intensified on Friday with nine ministers loyal to former Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa resigned from the State Cabinet to project a show of strength in their campaign for ousting Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda.

The ministers, who quit yesterday, include Jagadish Shettar (Rural Development), CM Udasi (PWD), Murugesh Nirani (Industries), V Somanna (Housing), Umesh Katti (Agriculture), Basavaraj Bommai (Water Resources), Revu Naik Belamagi (Libraries and Animal Husbandry), M P Renukacharya (Excise) and Raju Gowda (Small Scale Industries).

PWD Minister C M Udasi, who met Yeddyurappa minutes after tendering his resignation, yesterday said: "Our clear demand is there. There should be leadership change and Jagadish Shettar should be made chief minister. There is no question of dropping our demand"

Udasi further said all MLAs, MLCs and Lok Sabha members supporting Shettar's candidature would meet at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

Udasi also said that there was a trust deficit between the ministers and the chief minister in the last 3-4 months.

"We had been asking the Chief Minister to convene the BJP legislature party meeting. That also did not happen," he said. (ANI)