Upping the ante, the B.S. Yeddyurappa faction in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday threatened resignation by 10 ministers as the demand for replacing Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda gathered pace.

Mr. Yeddyurappa loyalist and MLA B.P. Harish claimed the 10 ministers, including Umesh Katti, Murugesh Nirani, C.M. Udasi and M.P. Renukacharya, would hand over their resignation letters to Mr. Gowda this evening.

“Ten ministers will resign this evening. Our decision is steadfast,” he told reporters, adding, the Yeddyurappa faction is demanding convening of a legislature party meeting and change of leadership if “it has more strength“.

The faction demanded that the party’s central leadership take a call on their demand on Friday itself, saying their patience was running out and they can’t wait any longer.

The central leadership has let it be known there is no question of change of leadership at least till the Presidential elections are over.

Ministers loyal to Mr. Yeddyurappa on Friday held strategy meetings at the residence of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar, who is the faction’s nominee to replace Mr. Gowda.

In-charge of the party’s Karnataka Affairs, Dharmendra Pradhan said in New Delhi that there is no question of replacing Mr. Gowda for now as he is “doing a good job“.

BJP state unit chief K.S. Eshwarappa admitted that while one group of MLAs has demanding Mr. Gowda’s replacement, the other is against such a move.