JD-S decides to vote against BJP

The JD-S changed its stand to give unconditional support as the BJP refused to sign a MoU on its terms for continuing support.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa is likely to quit office on Monday after coalition partner Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) announced that it would vote against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the confidence motion in the assembly.

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The assembly proceedings began as scheduled at around 11 am on Monday with the JD-S legislators being issued a whip by their leader and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to vote against the motion.

Yeddyurappa, the BJP's first chief minister in south India, is likely to move the motion and address the assembly before announcing that he was going to meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur to submit his resignation, BJP sources said.

However, an angry Yeddyurappa told reporters at the state secretariat as he went into the house that there was no question of his resignation - though his party has only 79 members in the 225-member assembly.

"I know. But wait till 6 pm," he said when asked for his next step in view of the JD-S whip to its legislators to vote against the motion. The trust motion is to be put to vote at 6 pm.

The JD-S, which had extended unconditional support to the Yeddyurappa-led ministry, changed its stand as the BJP refused to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on its terms for continuing support.

Yeddyurappa and his JD-S predecessor Kumaraswamy met on Sunday in a last minute bid to resolve differences, but the effort failed as the BJP rejected the coalition partner's demand for the cash-rich mining and urban development ministries, among other things.

JD-S has 51 members in the house and the Congress 65, with smaller parties and independents making up the rest.

Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister Nov 12. Governor Rameshwar Thakur directed him to prove his majority before Nov 20.