Yeddyurappa transfers his principal secretary

BANGALORE: Initiating the first move towards breaking the political logjam and to bring the dissident leaders gunning for his removal to the
negotiating table, Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Friday transferred his principal secretary V P Baligar. ( Watch Video )

Baligar has been posted as principal secretary Industries department and I S N Prasad replaces him as secretary to the chief minister, official sources said.

As part of a compromise formula offered by him to placate tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy and revenue minister G Karunakara Reddy, who are spearheading the "oust Yeddyurappa" campaign, the chief minister ordered Baligar's transfer.

Yeddyurappa is awaiting the BJP high's command nod for dropping some of the ministers, for whom the rebels have been gunning.

According to party sources in Bangalore, Yeddyurappa on Friday met senior leader Murli Manohar Joshi in Delhi and apprised him of the developments.

In another development, Gopalakrishna Belur, a dissident MLA, now staying in Hyderabad claimed that last night 48 MLAs had sent in their resignations from assembly membership to the party high command, declaring that they would not accept any compromise formula other than axing of the chief minister.