An influential spiritual leader of Karnataka’s politically important Lingayat community has threatened to pull down the BJP-led state government if lawmaker Dattatreya Patil Revoor is not inducted into the cabinet, in the latest challenge for chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

The pontiff’s dare comes just three weeks after Yediyurappa expanded his cabinet, inducting 10 of the 17 defectors from the Congress and the Janata Dal Secular who were instrumental in bringing the BJP back to power.

Deshikendra Swami, pontiff of the Srishaila Saranga Mutt, told a gathering in Gulbarga on Friday he was capable of pulling out at least 10 Lingayat lawmakers from the BJP if Yediyurappa, who is also from the same community, ignored his demand.

“Yediyurappa will complete the remaining three years (of the Assembly term) if he inducts Revoor into the cabinet. Otherwise, I will ask 10 MLAs, including Revoor, to resign from the party,” he said.

The BJP has 117 members in the House that has an effective strength of 223, excluding two vacancies. The Congress has 68 MLAs and the JDS 34. One nominated member (Congress), two Independents and a Bahujan Samaj Party MLA make up the rest.

Deshikendra Swami added that no Lingayat leader would become chief minister for decades if Yediyurappa were forced to quit, and hence wanted Revoor to be inducted to avoid any trouble for the ministry.

At a public meeting last year in August, another spiritual leader of a Lingayat sub-sect, Panchamasali Swami Vachananda, had threatened to withdraw the community’s support to Yediyurappa if Murugesh Nirani was not made a minister.

Yediyurappa, seated on the same dais, had threatened to walk out before Vachananda and others, including Nirani, calmed him down.

Friday’s threat from the Lingayat pontiff came amid a clamour from various leaders for a place in the cabinet since six of the 34 sanctioned berths have been kept vacant, obviously to accommodate disgruntled elements.

Yediyurappa, undoubtedly the most powerful leader of the Lingayat community that forms 18 per cent of the state’s six crore population, has of late been facing a challenge from dissidents who have ganged up under industries minister Jagadish Shettar.

Shettar has, however, dismissed talk of a rebellion to replace Yediyurappa, who turned 77 on Friday.

“There is absolutely no truth in what the seer said. Our MLAs are not waiting to quit for any reason. This government is strong and we are all united under the leadership of Yediyurappa,” Shettar told reporters here on Saturday.

But several BJP Lingayat lawmakers, all of them against the rise of Yediyurappa’s son, B.Y. Vijayendra, had rattled the party when they held meetings with Shettar last week.

His father’s eyes and ears, Vijayendra has over the past couple of years emerged as Yediyurappa’s most trusted lieutenant.

A Congress leader also contributed his bit to the political cauldron. C.M. Ibrahim, a member of the Legislative Council, claimed that several BJP lawmakers were ready to join his party.

“Thirty-two MLAs are willing to quit the BJP since they are not happy with the government,” Ibrahim, a former Union minister, said on Friday.

Deputy chief minister Govind Karjol rubbished Ibrahim’s claim and said the government faced no threat from anyone.

“Who are the 32 MLAs? He won’t reveal the names,” Karjol told reporters on Saturday.

“No BJP MLA will leave the party. There are other MLAs who are eager to join the BJP. Ibrahim’s dream won’t be fulfilled.”

The 17 defectors, who had plunged the Congress-JDS government into a crisis by switching over to the BJP, have been a major headache for Yediyurappa.

While they paved the way for the BJP’s return to power in the state, Yediyurappa has had to keep his promise of accommodating most of them in the cabinet and a few others in positions elsewhere.

That led to heartburn among old-timers who felt slighted after being ignored for cabinet berths.