Caretaker Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said Monday that he resigned voluntarily and not under any pressure.
Speaking to reporters outside Raj Bhavan after submitting his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Yediyurappa said there was no pressure from BJP central leadership to step down.
"It was my decision to resign on the same day when I complete two years as CM. I voluntarily resigned to provide an opportunity for others to serve. Neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor Union Home Minister Amit Shah forced me to resign," he said.
Yediyurappa said he had not proposed any names as his replacement. "High command will finalise (the next CM)," he said.
On whether he would accept the role of the Governor of any state, Yediyurappa said that he was not an aspirant for any such post. "I will travel across the state and work to strengthen the party," he said.
On whether 'migrants', the Congress-JD(S) rebels, will find a place in the new Cabinet, Yediyurappa said that even the next CM will be aware of their contribution in bringing BJP to power and would accommodate them in the Cabinet.
Noting that hundreds of seers supported him over the past week, Yediyurappa requested them to extend the same assistance to the next CM also.