B S Yediyurappa on Monday announced his resignation as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, as his government completes two years in office.

The 78-year old, BJP veteran said he will submit his resignation to the Governor post lunch.

"Don't take me otherwise, with your permission... I have decided that after lunch I will go to the Raj Bhavan and submit my resignation as the Chief Minister to the Governor," Yediyurappa said with a choked voice, as he turned emotional.

"Not out of grief, but with happiness," he said, as he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP National President J P Nadda for giving him an opportunity to serve as Chief Minister for two years, despite completing 75 years.

There is an unwritten rule in the BJP of keeping out those above 75 years from elected offices.

The Chief Minister also said that he will work to strengthen the party and bring it back to power, as per the expectations of the central leaders.

Yediyurappa was speaking at an event organised to mark his government's two years in office at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat here.

During the speech, Yediyurappa termed his tenure for two years as "trial by fire", recalling that he had to run the administration without cabinet in the initial days, followed by devastating floods and coronavirus among other issues.

The chief minister yesterday said he was expecting a “message” from the party leadership.

“I will let you know if the message comes by this evening,” he had told reporters in Belgaum while touring the flood-ravaged areas.

Hours later Nadda had told reporters in Goa: “He (Yediyurappa) has done good work. The Karnataka government is running properly and Yediyurappa is handling everything in his own way.”

Asked about the much-speculated change of leadership in the state, Nadda shot back: “That is what you feel; we don’t feel so.”

On his way back to Bangalore, Yediyurappa was asked again whether the party leadership had conveyed a decision and whether he might resign on Monday. “I don’t know anything yet,” he said.

Told that his supporters were anxious about his likely removal, Yediyurappa said: “I will abide by the party’s decision. No one should create any issues.”

Soon after reaching Bangalore, Yediyurappa said he had received “no information so far” from the party leadership.

“I hope I’ll get the message tonight or by tomorrow morning,” he said, adding he would “take a call tomorrow” if the party doesn’t say anything.

He sidestepped a question on Nadda’s statement. “Nadda is our party leader and it’s my duty to work as he says,” he said.

Yediyurappa had on Wednesday dropped the first clear hint that he might resign and switch to party work. He had then said he was expecting a “message” from the party leadership on Sunday and would take a decision based on that on Monday after attending a meeting of party lawmakers to mark the second anniversary of his current tenure.

His statement was followed by a flood of visitors, including more than a hundred pontiffs from Lingayat mutts, to his home. The seers were among those who wanted the BJP to allow Yediyurappa to stay in office until the 2023 state elections.