BJP loses power in Karnataka

BANGALORE—The BJP chief minister of Karnataka, B.S. Yeddyurappa, resigned on Monday, a week after he took power, after his regional coalition ally refused to back him in a confidence vote.
Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Yeddyurappa quit after the Janata Dal (S), junior partner in the coalition government, set conditions for its support - including demands for some key ministerial portfolios - which were rejected by the BJP.
“We will go to the people’s court against the betrayal of confidence,” Yeddyurappa told reporters after submitting his resignation to Governor Rameshwar Thakur. “They gave in writing to support us ... but they have cheated us.” “I have full confidence that the people of Karnataka will give us a majority in the next elections.” The Janata Dal (S) wanted the BJP to sign a pact agreeing to its demands before the vote, but the latter had said it would consider doing so only after.
The BJP chief minister quit without seeking a vote after the Janata Dal (S) ordered its legislators to vote against the confidence motion. Karnataka was considered a prize catch for BJP as the party has a small presence in other southern states. The party was hoping to use it as a gateway to the south and gain a larger national footprint, eating into support of the Congress party. With elections seen as the most likely way out of the political turmoil in the state, BJP expects that the Janata Dal (S) decision to renege on its word would generate sympathy votes for the Hindu nationalists, some analysts said.—Agencies
Karnataka’s capital Bangalore is India’s IT capital, and political instability in the state over the last three years has hampered governance while the city’s infrastructure woes have only worsened, residents say. The BJP was supposed to come to power in Karnataka last month under an agreement with the Janata Dal (S) to rule the state for 20 months each.
But it ended up pulling out of the coalition after the Janata Dal (S) reneged on the pact and refused to hand over power, forcing New Delhi to impose Central rule. The two subsequently patched up their differences to form the government - until the latest row.