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The ongoing feud between Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yedyurappa and the powerful 'Reddy faction' in his cabinet -- Tourism Minister Janardhan Reddy, Revenue Minister Karunakar Reddy, Chairman of Karnataka Milk Federation Somashekhar Reddy and Health Minister B Sriramulu -- worsened on Friday, with 55 Members of Legislative Assembly tendering their resignation in support of the Reddy brothers.
However, instead of submitting their resignations to the Speaker of the assembly, the rebel MLAs have submitted them to their leader Janardhan Reddy.
The tourism minister has been meeting top party leaders in New Delhi to seek Yedyurappa's ouster.
Though the MLAs have demanded that their resignations be tendered to the Speaker, Reddy is yet to do so.
The mass resignation is being seen as a move to mount pressure on the party leaders in Delhi, who have refused to remove the Karnataka CM from his post. The Reddy brothers, on the other hand, have made it clear that they will not backtrack till their demand for Yedyurappa's ouster is met.
The CM, who is currently in New Delhi, has already cancelled a cabinet meeting that was scheduled to be held on Friday.
BJP leaders in Delhi are trying to resolve the crisis by urging the Karnataka CM and the Reddy brothers to discuss their differences and arrive at a solution.
However, Karnataka Home Minister Dr V S Acharya expressed confidence that the ongoing crisis in the state BJP will be over by Friday. "A formula has been worked out by the party high command and this will be adopted," Dr Acharya told rediff.com.
When asked whether the Reddy faction would agree to the formula, he said, "The formula has been devised as per their demands, so I guess they should be agreeable to it".
Speaking on the en masse resignation of the state MLAs, he said, "Please don't attach too much importance to it. All I can say is that the crisis will be sorted out".
When queried about the party's formula to solve the crisis, he said there would be minor changes in the state cabinet and other departments, but refused to divulge any details.
Dr Acharya reiterated that Yeddyurappa will continue as the chief minister.