Yeddyurappa shunts out Principal Secy

Initiating the first move towards breaking the political logjam and to bring the dissident leaders gunning for his removal to the negotiating table, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today transferred his Principal Secretary V P Baligar.

Baligar has been posted as Principal Secretary Industries department and I S N Prasad replaces him as Secretary to the Chief Minister, official sources said here.

As part of a compromise formula offered by him to placate Tourism Minister G Janardhana Reddy and Revenue Minister G Karunakara Reddy, who are spearheading the "oust Yeddyurappa" Campaign, the Chief Minister ordered Baligar's transfer.

Yeddyurappa is awaiting the BJP high's command nod for dropping some of the ministers for whom the rebels have been gunning.

According to party sources here, Yeddyurappa today met senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi in the national capital and apprised him of the developments.

In another development, Gopalakrishna Belur, a dissident MLA, now staying in Hyderabad claimed that last night 48 MLAs had sent in their resignations from Assembly membership to the party high command, declaring that they would not accept any compromise formula other than axing of the Chief Minister.

Another 12 MLAs would send in their resignation today, taking the total number of MLAs willing to resign to 60, Gopalakrishna claimed.

"If some ministers are ready to face the mid-term polls, we are also ready for it", he said, hitting out at ministers Haratalu Halappa, B N Bachchegowda and Umesh Katti, who two days ago said they would resign and face fresh elections.

Few ministers and MLAs who are rallying behind Yeddyurappa met at the residence of the Chief Minister today and discussed the emerging political developments.

Dissident sources said the Reddy brothers would wait for two more days for the party central leaders decision on their demands.

Sources added if the party high command is unwilling to accept their demand for leadership change, they would go ahead with their plan which might include MLAs submitting their resignation en masse to the speaker.