BJP tells Cong it would not destabilise ruling coalition

The BJP would not destabilise Karnataka's ruling coalition, party state chief B S Yeddyurappa said Saturday, as the state remained in the grip of political unrest with the Congress on tenterhooks to keep its numbers intact.

As the Congress MLAs remained sequestered in a resort on the city outskirts fearing a poaching bid by the BJP, Yeddyurappa said he had asked all his party lawmakers camping at a hotel in Gurugram to return and tour the state's drought-hit areas.

"We will not try to destabilise this government for any reason, let them not have that fear. We will work as the opposition," Yeddyurappa, whose party has been accused of having triggered the political crisis with its toppling game, said.

"Let the Congress-JD(S) leaders not have any doubt about it," he said, a day after chinks in the ruling coalition was exposed with four MLAs skipping the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meet.

As the fissures became evident, the Congress on Friday swiftly moved all its MLAs