Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP) 

Bengaluru, Jul 2: With the resignation of two legislators, the strength of the coalition government has slid to 117 in the 224-member state assembly. The adamant attitude owned by the government in selling land to Jindals had angered Anand Singh into resigning from his assembly membership. He is also said to be nursing a grouse against the party for failing to act against Kampli Ganesh, who had beaten him up, and the party's action in lifting his suspension.  Ramesh Jarkiholi was disgruntled at the interference of state leaders, particularly D K Shivakumar, in Belagavi district politics.  

State BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa, had claimed that he is not interested in causing the downfall of the government, and that the government would fall on its own. The central BJP leaders too acted like being disinterested in precipitating the downfall of the state government. The sudden developments taking place now have given rise to the suspicion about the possibility of the BJP leaders maneuvering these developments on their own.  

Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi

It is said that Congress high command is now considering the option of convincing some loyal ministers to resign to pave way for the induction of unhappy legislators into the ministry. Yeddyurappa has been saying that his party will not cause downfall of the government on its own, and that he will not move no-confidence motion. He feigned ignorance about the resignation of Congress MLAs and asserted that these rebel Congress legislators are not in touch with him. At the same time, he has said that if the government  crashes, his party will stake claim to form an alternative.  

Reportedly, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who is in Mumbai now, has already asked his loyals like Ballari rural legislator, B Nagendra, Maski MLA, Pratap Gowda Patil, Athani MLA, Mahesh Kumthalli, Raichur rural MLA, Basanagouda Daddal, and Lingsagur MLA, B S Hoolageri to resign. Sources close to Jarkiholi say that once he reaches the city, more legislators including Kagwada Congress MLA, Shreemanth Patil, land Hagaribommanahalli MLA, Bheema Naik, may consider quitting the government.  

 Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, said that the BJP central leadership appears to be indulging in Operation Lotus and that the Congress also has the capacity to undertake reverse operations. As the government has support of two independent MLAs who have been made ministers, the government does not seem to be facing any peril as of now.