Shettar warns of backlash if his govt is toppled

Seeking to play the emotional card, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Thursday warned of a backlash, particularly in north Karnataka, if his government were to be toppled by ruling party MLAs backing B S Yeddyurappa.

“If there is an attempt to bring down a government which is giving good administration, people will not pardon it,” he told reporters in his home-town of Hubli in north Karnataka. “People will keep it in their minds. Particularly, in this region (north Karnataka) people’s outrage may explode at any stage,” he said, telling the MLAs who have expressed their intention to resign and those “instigating” them to bear in mind the people’s feelings.

He said there was no threat to the stability of the government, adding, he was ready to prove his majority in the budget session, slated to begin on February 4. Shettar took strong exception to Yeddyurappa for using “low language” and addressing him in “singular” in his outbursts yesterday, and said “people don’t appreciate it.

People are observing and they will give a reply”. Thirteen BJP MLAs had gone to the office of Speaker K G Bopaiah yesterday to hand over their resignations from the Assembly membership but could not do so as the latter was out of station.

Later, they represented to Governor H R Bhardwaj, requesting his intervention to see that their resignations are accepted by the Speaker. Meanwhile, speaking to reporters here, BJP state unit president K S Eshwarappa said the government would complete its full term.

Eshwarappa slammed Yeddyurappa, saying the latter is not asking his son and Shimoga MP, B Y Raghavendra, to quit, while asking his supporting MLAs to quit. He also alleged that Yeddyurappa was being “blackmailed” by the Congress and asked the resigning MLAs not to “fall prey”.