Jagadish Shettar ministry a 'coalition government', says Yeddyurappa

Disgruntled Karnataka BJP strongman and former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, who has announced his intention to float a new party next month, on Thursday termed the Jagadish Shettar ministry as 'a coalition government' supported by his loyalists.

"....the fact is this is a coalition government. Everybody knows it", Yeddyurappa, who has spurned all efforts by the party to retain him in its fold, told reporters.

He also announced that he was preponing the scheduled launch date of his party by a day to December 9.

"They (Government) have deliberately convened the (assembly) session from December 5 to 13 to prevent MLAs and Ministers from attending my rally at Haveri on December 10. Hence I have preponed the rally to Dec 9", he said.

It is left to the BJP to act against MLAs and Ministers attending the rally, he added.

Yeddyurappa has been sulking ever since he was removed as Chief Minister in July last year after being indicted by the Lokayukta report on illegal mining.

After his exit, he handpicked Sadananda Gowda, but some months Gowda had to make way for Shettar as Yeddyurappa insisted on his removal.

The Lingayat leader has been unhappy with the party's central top brass, which had refused to entertain him on his repeated attempts to stage a comeback as Chief Minister asking him to come clean on corruption charges.