The fear that he did not have enough MLAs who could back him and the possibility of a court battle that could isolate him in state politics might have forced Mr Yeddyurappa to climb down from his earlier stand of dissolving the Ass-embly. According to sour-ces in BJP, at present Mr Yeddyurappa has 35 supporters in his side including nine ministers.

As two senior BJP leaders kicked off consultations to pick a new chief minister in Karnataka, some party MPs and MLAs on Friday rallied behind B.S. Yeddyurappa asking its high command to reconsider his resignation.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is examining a report prepared by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the alleged irregularities in the sanction of loans and tender procedures by Mangalore-based public sector Corporation Bank, a source said.

Unconfirmed reports are claiming that Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has finally stepped down from power, after being asked to by the BJP high command.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) on Wednesday snapped ties with the DMK. The party announced that it would be forming an alternative front to the Dravidian majors in the upcoming local body elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday asked Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to step down “immediately” following the indictment by the Lokayukta over illegal mining in the state, party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

With his back to the wall on the eve of Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde handing in the final report on illegal mining in Karnataka, state chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has drawn up his war plan, from posturing to a rider that the BJP elect his nominee — energy minister Shobha Karandlaje or higher education minister V.S. Acharya — as the successor.

A Goa Congress minister and his brother on Tuesday withdrew their resignations, saying that the party had assured tickets for their kin for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

On the eve of Lokayukta Justice N. Santosh Hegde’s much-awaited “explosive” report, the Karnataka government announced the appointment of Justice Shivaraj V. Patil to the hot seat, an indication that he would asked to take a call on the voluminous document on the role of top politicians, bureaucrats and mining czars in unauthorised excavation and export of precious iron ore.

Ahead of submission of his report on illegal mining, Karnataka Lokayukta justice Santosh Hegde on Wednesday said he does not believe the government would act on his findings.