Stepping up the ante against Chief Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda, his predecessor B. S. Yeddyurappa on Sunday pressed him to convene the legislature party meeting at the earliest in a virtual endorsement of the demand made by 38 MLAs.
Ignoring the reported directive by BJP high command to him not to precipitate the crisis, Yeddyurappa continued to hold discussions with ministers and MLAs loyal to him at his Race Course residence over the group's future course of action.
Last week 38 MLAs presented two requests signed each by 19 MLAs seeking emergency legislature party meet.
"It is true that a few ministers and MLAs have quit their posts and handed over their resignations to me. They are angry with the treatment meted out to them by Chief Minister Gowda", Yeddyurappa told.
The reason for this, Yeddyurappa said, was that the chief wrote a letter to the national President of the party Nitin Gadkari, seeking disciplinary action against them because ‘they were close to me’.
Nine ministers and about 15 MLAs handed their letter of resignation to Yeddyurappa on Saturday and more likely to follow by Monday, he claimed.
Yeddyurappa questioned Gowda for not convening the legislature party meeting and insisted that it should be called as early as possible.
"For the past five months, there has been no legislature party meeting. Why is there no meeting", he asked. Responding to a query, he said "about nine ministers have resigned".
To another question on whether he would resign from the party, Yeddyurappa said "I have not taken any decision. I will take a decision at an appropriate time after consulting my ministers, leaders".
The minister who have submitted their resignations are Shobha Karandlaje, Murugesh Nirani, Basavaraj Bommai, M. P. Renukacharya, C. M. Udasi, Revu Naik Balumagi, Umesh Katti, V Somanna, Raju Gowda, he said.
State unit BJP President K. S. Eswarappa went to meet Yeddyurappa, but the Lingayat strong man had left for a function by then.