Bengaluru: Ruling BJP has stunned after BJP rebel MLA, Basana Gouda Patil Yatnal’ statement on cabinet ministers and bjp MLAs are ready to join Congress soon after the announcement of elections in the state.

No one in BJP neither ruled out nor confirmed the statement of Mr. Yatnal. But his statement sends shocks in the party cadre. According to Mr. Yatnal, Karnataka BJP will see a mass exodus before the Assembly elections, which is due in 2023. Like Uttar Pradesh, where more than 10 BJP MLAs and ministers have joined the Samajwadi Party before the elections, in Karnataka too, BJP MLAs and ministers will join the Congress, Mr. Yatnal releveled.

MLA Yatnal has stated that the BJP ministers, who have come from the Congress and JD(S) will quit the BJP at the time of elections and will join the Congress. Yatnal has stated that the leaders from the state will follow the footsteps of Uttar Pradesh leader Swami Prasad Maurya, who had quit the BJP cabinet and joined the Samajwadi Party.

Mr. Yatnal did not reveal the names of BJP MLAs joining Congress, but he said that those who have no loyalty to the ideology of the party has negotiated with Congress. “few MLAs have already booked their seats in Congress after negotiating with KPCC President D.K.Shivakumar and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah. Those who are loyal to BJP and its principle will not switch the side”, Mr. Yatnal stated.

Meanwhile KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar and opposition leader Siddaramaiah endorsed the statements of Yatnal and stated that indeed BJP legislators, including present ministers are in touch with them, which has increased the woes of BJP. The party is treading cautiously with the matter. However, Congress leaders have refused to divulge the details and numbers of BJP legislators who wished to join Congress. According to Congress sources, 20 to 25 bjp legislators are in touch with Congress leaders.

Sources have confirmed that 11 BJP MLAs who joined the BJP in 2019 in operation lotus are in touch with Congress, in which few of them are ministers in the Basavaraj Bommai cabinet.

Immediate expansion of cabinet: Rebel BJP leaders have urged the party high command for immediate expansion of the Cabinet without waiting for five states Assembly elections, held in February.

Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Renukacharya, Ramesh Jarakeholi, Mahesh Kumtalli, G.H. Tippareddy and S.A. Ravindranath has demanded immediate cabinet expansion.

Mr. Renukacharya stated that the party high command should expand the cabinet without waiting after five states Assembly elections. If any delay in Cabinet expansion would hamper the party prospects, he warned.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai defended the demands of party MLAs, stating that they have all the right to ask for cabinet berths and the high command also knows about it. Senior cabinet ministers K.S. Eshwarappa and Bhyrathi Basavaraju has stated that they are ready to step down if the party asks them.