Hand over power or we'll quit, say BJP ministers

New Delhi: Even as Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has said that he will announce his decision on power transfer on Tuesday, BJP ministers have handed over resignation letters to Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

This move, they say, has been made in the wake of JD(S) not being inclined to transfer power to BJP in the state.

The ministers have said they will resign en masse if Kumaraswamy refuses to step down, highly placed party sources have been quoted by news agency PTI as saying.

BJP leader, Yashwant Sinha told CNN-IBN, "Now the time has come to redeem the pledge made 20 months ago. There is no scope for further negotiations."

"We expect Kumaraswamy to write a letter to the Governor stating that he wants Yediyurappa to be the Chief Minister. There is a legislature meeting of all BJP MLAs on Tuesday and I have no problem in meeting Deve Gowda and discussing the matter," Sinha said.

Kumaraswamy was earlier quoted by agencies as saying, "I became Chief Minister due to pressure from party legislators. I will seek their opinion on Monday night and announce my decision on Tuesday after a function in front of the Vidhana Soudha.''

As per the coalition agreement reached between Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa in February 2006, the JD(S) was to keep the Chief Minister's post for the first 20 months in power and the BJP for the remaining 20 months.

While JD(S) President H D Deve Gowda seemed reluctant to hand over the post to the BJP, the BJP maintained that the ''power transfer would be smooth''.

However, even as the final countdown begins for handing over the reins of power, Deve Gowda has said that he wants his son to remain the Chief Minister of the state.

He told CNN-IBN that his party members would meet on October 4 in Bangalore to decide their next course of action.

JD(S) sources have told CNN-IBN that the party has virtually decided against handing over chief ministership to BJP.

An earlier meeting between Yashwant Sinha and Deve Gowda proved inconclusive with Deve Gowda hardening his stand and saying that he was prepared for snap polls.

JD(S) has taken a hard stand over the last few days as soon as it realised that it was holding the upper hand in negotiations after winning 54 seats in the Karnataka urban local body elections.

The JD(S) swept past the BJP and the Congress, marching on to win almost 30 per cent of the total seats.