The truce between the warring sides in Karnataka BJP on Monday claimed its first political victim when the controversial woman minister Shobha Karandlaje, a confidante of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, was forced to resign under pressure from rebels.

The 45-year-old Panchayat Raj Minister tendered her resignation which was immediately accepted by Yeddyurappa, who had late last night said there was no no question of removal of any minister.

But this morning, he backtracked to say that the Core Committee to be constituted to monitor the party affairs will decide which are the ministers to be removed. The only woman member of the Cabinet and the first-time MLA from Yeshwantpur constituency in the city, Karndlaje was the target dissident MLAs, led by the Reddy brothers, who had attacked her for her being accorded prominence by the Chief Minister. They also charged her with "interfering" with the functioning of other ministries.

"Shobha Karandlaje tendered her resignation today and the chief minister has accepted it and forwarded it to the Governor", said the Chief Minister's Secretariat.

Earlier on Friday, the Chief Minister had shunted out his Principal Secretary V P Baligar to industry department under pressure from the dissidents. Karandlaje's resignation came a day after the the Chief Minister and dissident leader Transport Minister G Janardhana Reddy arrived at a compromise in the presence of senior leader L K Advani to end the fortnight-old open bickering.

Along with his elder brother and Revenue Minister G Karuakar Reddy, Janardhana and other rebels had demanded the removal of Yeddyurappa.

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