Karnataka: 13 former BJP MLAs to join Yeddy's party today

New Delhi: Thirteen former BJP MLAs from Karnataka who had resigned from the party, will on Thursday take the oath for membership of BS Yeddyurappa's Karnataka Janata Party. The Assembly Speaker accepted the resignations on Wednesday.

The plight of the state BJP government remains precarious as it now has the support of only 108 MLAs in the 223 member assembly.

The BJP-led Karnataka government has been going through a major crisis since Yeddyurappa resigned and launched his own party in December, 2012. Many of his loyalists in the BJP even attended the convention where the KJP was launched.

On Monday, two BJP MLAs submitted a petition to the Speaker's office requesting disqualification of 12 MLAs who, they said, had indulged in anti-party activities and were attempting to topple the government under pressure (from Yeddyurappa). They also submitted a CD and few documents to support their claims.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar has said that he was confident that his government will complete its full term. After meeting BJP President Rajnath Singh in the national capital on Monday, Shettar said there was no threat to his government and he would present the budget on February 8, which the KJP is keen to scuttle to deny any advantage to the BJP ahead of the Assembly elections due in May.

Yeddyurappa, however, has said that he had no intention to topple the Shettar Ministry and indicated he was not averse to presentation of budget. "Our aim is not to topple the government", Yeddyurappa, who quit the BJP nearly two months ago, said.

In the 225-member Karnataka Assembly, the BJP has a strength of 117 excluding the Speaker and requires 113 for a simple majority. The Congress has 71 members and the JDS 26. There are seven Independents and two vacancies. One member is nominated. Governor HR Bhardwaj had stated on January 26 that the Jagadish Shettar government still enjoyed a majority and as leader of the BJP legislature party, it was left to him to take action on the issue of resignation of the 13 MLAs.