Bangalore: Appearing unfazed by the rebellion against his leadership by the Yeddyurappa faction, Chief Minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Saturday expressed confidence of resolving the crisis with the intervention of the party`s central leadership.
Gowda met Governor HR Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan, held consultations on convening a Legislature session next month to pass the financial bill (budget) and briefed him about the issue of resignation of nine Ministers.
The Chief Minister did not hand over the resignation letters of nine ministers loyal to BS Yeddyurappa to the Governor; the party`s state unit President KS Eshwarappa had made it clear earlier that there is no question of accepting them.
Gowda told reporters later that he spoke to BJP president Nitin Gadkari and in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka Dharmendra Pradhan on the resignation issue last night, adding the two leaders expressed confidence of resolving the crisis smoothly.
Pradhan is coming to Bangalore this afternoon and will hold discussions with all concerned, the Chief Minister said.
"We have faced such crisis in the past and we have resolved them successfully. This time also, I am confident we will resolve the crisis," Gowda said.
Meanwhile, state BJP president KS Eshwarappa today ruled out accepting the resignations of nine ministers.
"There is no question of accepting the resignation of the ministers," he told reporters after meeting Gowda.
Eshwarappa said he is confident that Gowda and "friends" supporting Jagadish Shettar would abide by any decision of the party`s central leadership.
Minister for Labour and Sericulture, BN Bache Gowda, met Sadananda Gowda and later told reporters there is no question of change of leadership. He said all 12 ministers who are "identified" with the chief minister would meet this afternoon.
"There is no question of leadership change. He will continue as chief minister," Bache Gowda asserted.
The ministers who resigned are Shettar, C M Udasi, Basavaraja Bommai, Murugesh Nirani, V Somanna, Umesh Katti, M P Renukacharya, Revu Naik Belamagi and Raju Gowda.
PTI
