Bangalore : Karnataka Former CM BS Yeddyurappa on Monday intensified his power struggle by claiming support of over half of the party MLAs and apparently demanded that the central leadership convene a legislature party meet within 48 hours.

In a show of strength to party high command, Yeddyurappa, who claimed that 55 MLAs are supporting him, ferried 40 of his loyalists to a private resort, where they are likely to stay for two days and await the BJP central leadership’s response to his demand.

“55 legislators are here today. 15 more will join tomorrow. I am confident that the BJP central leadership will take note of all these developments and take an appropriate decision as soon as possible,” said Yeddyurappa, who is making a renewed bid to get the party to reinstate him as Chief Minister.

The BJP has a strength of 120 legislators, including the Speaker, in the 224-member Assembly.

“Wait for 48 hours. It is not a deadline. I am sure the party leadership will take a decision”, he said.

Yeddyurappa expects more legislators to join him on Monday as he waits for the party’s decision. Sources say Yeedyurappa is waiting for either an observer to come to Bangalore from Delhi or be called to Delhi. The Opposition Congress and JDS are expected to meet the Governor demanding dismissal of the BJP government.

Yeddyurappa has been contending that the BJP central leadership should fulfill its promise to reinstate him as the Chief Minister as it had assured him the chair once the High Court quashes an FIR filed against him in an illegal mining case.

On March 8, the High Court cleared him in the case.

The BJP central leadership had forced Yeddyurappa to quit in July 2011 after he was indicted by the Lokyukta report on illegal mining that had caused a political storm in the state.

After meeting his loyalists on Sunday, Yeddyurappa ferried them to a private resort, where they are likely to stay for two days and await the BJP central leadership’s response to his demand, sources close to him said.

This is the third deadline given by Yeddyurappa to the BJP central leadership to reinstate him as Chief Minister.

Earlier he had set January 14 and February 27 as deadlines, which the BJP ignored.

Yeddyurappa expressed confidence that he would be able to lead Karnataka to the number one spot in terms of development in the country if he is made the Chief Minister.

“Even in the next one year, I can make Karnataka a number one state,” he said.