At least 13 MLAs were under the scanner of the BJP after they had attended the opening ceremony of their leader, the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa, who severed ties with the party after 40 years to establish his own party Karnataka Janata Party at Haveri on December 9.

Yeddyurappa challenged BJP to fire the 13 MLAs who attended his party launch while speaking to the media at the Belgaum airport.

With already weak force of MLA's BJP's core meeting, held on Dec 12, in Belgaum has decided against their original decision to sack the Yeddyurappa loyalists who attended the inauguration of the party at Haveri.

Yeddyurappa went on to assure the BJP that if the situation demanded, they would resign from the party, en masse. Talking about his party, KJP, he said that the party would compete regionally for all the 224 assembly seats and aim at building a regional party.

(AW- Anil)