From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Jan 15: After setting frequent deadlines for pulling down the Jagadish Shettar-led BJP Government in Karnataka and shelving the toppling bid, the B S Yeddyurappa-led Karnataka Janata Party has now sought the intervention of Governor Hans Raj Bharadwaj and Election Commission of India to restrain the chief minister from presenting a full-fledged budget for the year 2-13-14.
KJP leader V Dhananjaya Kumar, a former union minister of state for finance and Yeddyurappa’s trusted lieutenant, has urged the State Governor and Election Commission to prevent the BJP Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar from presenting a full-fledged budget for the coming financial year as the term of the present Government ends in May itself.
Given the fact that two of the most recent deadlines for toppling the Jagadish Shettar regime have come and gone with nothing happening, the KJP leader refrained from setting a fresh deadline and pointed out that the BJP Government’s term is due to end soon.
''What is the sanctity of the budget proposals if a full-fledged budget is presented and the term of the government ends soon afterwards,” Dhananjaya Kumar asked.
Meanwhile, KJP supremo Yeddyurappa told reporters in Hassan that he would not set any deadline to bring down the BJP government.
Yeddyurappa had earlier set January 4 and January 15 deadlines but retracted saying “no deadline is set” following failure to muster support of required number of MLAs to topple the government.
Assembly elections in Karnataka may well be announced next month or definitely by March as the term of the present state assembly ends in May, Dhananjaya Kumar said.
Dhananjaya Kumar, however, predicted that several BJP ministers and MLAs will be leaving the saffron party soon and joining different parties, including Congress.
The Jagadish Shettar ministry might not be in office to present the 2013-14 budget proposals, he claimed.
However, KJP sources claim that some MLAs and a few ministers are resigning their membership en masse on January 23.
Dhananjaya Kumar asked the Governor to direct the BJP government not to present the budget for 2013-14.
The Governor should ask the BJP Government to merely seek only a vote on account for a specific period as the existing government may not return to honour the budget proposals after assembly polls, he demanded.
The KJP leader said the first list of 100 candidates of the party would be released by this month end.
A meeting of the State election committee and State unit office-bearers would be held on January 18 to finalise candidates, he said.