Click to play videoBangalore: Exactly seven days after he took oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka — the first in the south of India — B S Yeddyurappa handed over his resignation letter to the Governor.
Yeddyurappa was in the Governor's office even before the vote of confidence he had called was conducted. He knew he couldn't have won that vote. His alliance partner, the JD(S), led by H D Deve Gowda pulled out from supporting him on the floor of the house.
"The JD(S) cheated us. To stay in power they will do anything," he says.
The JD(S) has blamed the BJP for the collapse of the government. The 12-point memorandum of understanding given by the JD(S) that the BJP didn't agree to, was put forward as the immediate provocation.
But the real rift was over the control of the Bellary mines and some crucial portfolios like ports and urban development that both parties wanted to keep for themselves.
"They forced us to give them Bellary mines and Geology Ministry, but we said that we are not ready for even a single change on whatever decision we had taken 20 months ago," says Yeddyurappa.
A brief attempt was made to re-negotiate the survival of the government, even though the JD(S) had issued instructions to its MLAs not to vote for the BJP in the Assembly.
The JD(S) was also upset at the inclusion of Bellary MLA Sriramulu — the same man who had accused Kumarasway, then chief minister, of trying to murder him.
By Monday evening, the sun finally set on the BJP's political ambition south of the Vindhyas. The first BJP chief minister in the south had bowed out of office.
But with the Congress waiting on the sidelines, this will not be the end of the political nataka in Karnataka.
It's a new low for Karnataka politics and the stable government the people want is a long way away.
(With inputs from Deepa Balakrishnan in Bangalore)
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
