Bangalore: A day after 13 ruling BJP MLAs` plan to quit their assembly membership turned a damp squib due to Speaker K G Bopaiah`s absence, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj Thursday shot off a letter to the Assembly Secretariat seeking details of the presiding officer`s tour.
Bhardwaj`s letter came on a complaint by a delegation of MLAs loyal to former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa which met him yesterday after an hour-long drama at the Speaker`s office.
The agitated MLAs had rushed to Raj Bhavan complaining to Bhardwaj about Bopaiah`s absence in spite of being told in advance about their decision to submit their resignations, a move aimed at pushing the Jagadish Shettar government into a crisis.
The MLAs, including C M Udasi and Shobha Karandlaje who quit as ministers, were taken aback when they were told Bopaiah was on tour while Assembly Secretary P Omprakasha was also not available.
Omprakasha confirmed receipt of letter from the governor`s office seeking details about the Speaker`s tour programme.
The governor has also sought tour programme details of Assembly Secretariat officials.
Meanwhile, the 13 MLAs have sent their resignation letters to Bopaiah through e-mail and requested him to accept them by January 27 or January 28.
Nehru Olekar, Haveri MLA, said the group was contemplating to move a habeas corpus petition before the state high court in a couple of days to trace the Speaker.
The MLAs` resignation bid was seen as part of Yeddyurappa`s game plan to push the BJP government into a crisis and threaten its stability before Shettar could present the budget on February 8, the last before the assembly elections due in May.
PTI
