The JD(S)-Cong alliance in Karnataka appears to be on the brink of collapse after several MLAs handed in their resignations on a high-octane Saturday.
The JD(S)-Cong alliance in Karnataka appears to be on the brink of collapse after several MLAs handed in their resignations on a high-octane Saturday.
One of the rebel MLAs, JD(S) MLA H Vishwanath said yesterday that a total of 14 MLAs have jointly tendered their resignations to speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and asked him to accept them.
On Sunday, DK Shivakumar met former PM HD Deve Gowda in his residence.
They were joined by JD(S) leaders HD Revanna, D Kupendra Reddy, HK Kumaraswamy and DC Thammanna.
Meeting of Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda, Karnataka Minister, Deputy CM G Parameshwara & other senior Congress leaders, begins at Taj West End hotel
20:40 IST Sunday, 7 July 2019
Karnataka Congress MLA ST Somasekhar told the media that there was no question ‘withdrawing their resignations’.
Somashekar, one of the 13 MLAs who handed in their resignations said: “We will not withdraw our resignation. We are total 13 MLAs together. And 10 in Mumbai.”
He was speaking outside Sofitel Hotel in Mumbai. BC Patil, another Congress MLA said they were ‘together and there was no question of withdrawing their resignations’.
HD Devegowda reaches Taj End, where he will be meeting JD(S) MLAs.
Karnataka Congress MLA ST Somashekar outside Sofitel hotel in Mumbai: We 13 MLAs submitted resignation to the Speaker & informed Governor. We all are together. No question of going back to Bengaluru & withdrawing the resignations. pic.twitter.com/0ae0ttAlgo
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2019
19:58 IST Sunday, 7 July 2019
GT Devegowda, JDS at party headquarters (JP Bhavan) in Bengaluru: If my party decides, I am ready to resign. I am not going to BJP. Ours is a coalition government for the betterment of state. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/wdimkcYNlN
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2019
Bengaluru: Meeting of JD(S) MLAs with Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to be held at Taj West End hotel pic.twitter.com/uTOMckYOXH
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2019
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has arrived at HAL Airport in Bengaluru https://t.co/IEgflcaoJR
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2019
BJP blames 'power struggle'
It is the "power struggle" between Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and current incumbent HD Kumaraswamy which has resulted in a political crisis in the state, senior BJP leader and Union minister Pralhad Joshi said Sunday.
Dubbing the Congress's claim of a BJP hand behind the resignation of ruling alliance MLAs to destabilise the government in the state as "bogus", Joshi said, "All this is happening because the Congress has become leaderless and rather than blaming others, they should settle their house first." There is complete "anarchy" in Congress and its Karnataka unit is "functioning like an independent entity as central leadership has no say in the state unit," Joshi, a former chief of the state BJP unit, told PTI.
18:02 IST Sunday, 7 July 2019
Circular has been issued by Congress to all MLAs to attend Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting called by CLP leader Siddaramaiah on July 9. Karnataka Congress in charge KC Venugopal & Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao will also be present in the meet.
17:42 IST Sunday, 7 July 2019
Murlidhar Rao, BJP on Congress saying BJP is behind the present political situation in #Karnataka: This is nonsense. It's baseless allegation. By making allegations against another party that has nothing to do with internal affairs of Congress, they're not going to gain anything.
Congress MLA from Bellary Rural B Nagendra has been called by Congress leaders to Windsor Manor Hotel in Bengaluru
Maharashtra Youth Congress workers including its vice-president
— ANI (@ANI) July 7, 2019
Suraj Singh Thakur have been detained by police during their protest outside Sofitel hotel asking #Karnataka Congress MLAs to take back their resignation. pic.twitter.com/qLuXQVSqBF
16:43 IST Sunday, 7 July 2019
Four Congress activists were detained for protesting outside Sofitel Hotel in BKC, Mumbai where the MLAs are staying.
15:16 IST Sunday, 7 July 2019
Senior state Congress leaders including Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Home Minister MB Patil, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, HK Patil, KC Venugopal and Mallikarjun Kharge met to discuss the prevailing political situation in the state following the resignation of at least 11 legislators.
After the meeting at ITC Windsor Palace hotel here, Parameshwara said that the coalition leaders were talking to the disgruntled leaders to save the state government which is staring at a collapse. "We have been talking to them," he said.
"There is a scope for improvement. We should explore that improvement," Patil said.
14:57 IST Sunday, 7 July 2019
A senior Congress, who is in charge of keeping the flock of legislators together, on Sunday blamed party strongman Siddaramaiah for sabotaging the Karnataka government coalition, terming the former chief minister "a thief inside the party".
The senior party leader, on condition of anonymity, said Siddaramaiah is "playing games" to wreck the Congress-JD(S) coalition for "his prestige".
"There are thieves inside the house (Congress). One man (Siddaramaiah) is doing this for his prestige. He is playing all these games. MLAs who are there (in Mumbai) are in constant touch with Siddaramaiah but I don't know what my party high command is doing," the senior Congress leader stated.
13:37 IST Sunday, 7 July 2019
Meanwhile, in an attempt to hold their flock together, the Cong-JD(S) alliance appears to be offering ministerial berths to the dissidents. Sources told Zee Media that the several ministerial berths have been offered to the rebels and several current ministers have agreed to step down.
BJP MLC Prasad Lad and BJP leader Mohit Kamboj were also seen entering Hotel Sofitel in Mumbai, where dissident Karnataka MLAs are lodged.
1. Yeddyurappa on developments
)
Responding to the developments, BJP state chief BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday said, "I am going to Tumkur and I will come back at 4 pm. You know about the political developments. Let's wait and see. I do not want to answer to what HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah say. I am nowhere related to this."
While senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said he wants the alliance government to continue. "We want that this should go on smoothly," he said.
2. Yes I tore resignation letters: Shivakumar
)
Senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar on Saturday accepted that he tore the resignation letters of some of the dissident MLAs.
"Why should I not? Let them file a complaint. If they want to put me behind the bars, I'm ready. I am already facing a lot of issues. I don't mind about all these things. I have taken a very big risk. Definitely, I won't say no. I know someone has recorded it. Let him release it. What is wrong in it," he said while talking to reporters.
He was responding to media questions about the allegations that he tore the resignation of the some of the MLAs.
"To protect my party... to protect my friends...they have been with me. I have fought their election. I went to their election. I have contributed to their election in my own way. As a party worker, I have done it. I should not see that they have been misguided," he added.
3. JD(S) rebel MLAs say 14 people have resigned
JD(S) MLA H Vishwanath on Saturday said that 14 MLAs have jointly tendered resignations to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and requested him to accept them. However, the Speaker has not yet accepted the resignations.
After the dramatic turn of events, the state government appears to have fallen into a minority forcing Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is in the US, to cut short his visit. He is expected to fly back today.
4. How the numbers stand
)
As of July 5, 2019, here's how things stand
BJP - 105
Cong - 78
JD(S) - 37
Independent - 1
BSP - 1
Nominated - 1
KPJP - 1
Speaker - 1
The total tally of the Cong-JD(S) alliance is 117 including a BSP MLA and an independent. Along with the nominated MLA, their total becomes 118.
Meanwhile, the BJP has 105 MLAs and has the support of one KPJP MLA taking its tally to 106.
What if 11 MLAs resign?
As things stand, if the 11 MLAs resign, the assembly’s strength will fall to 214. Excluding the Speaker, that’d be 213.
In that case, whichever side has 107 members will emerge victorious.
What if 14 MLAs resign?
If 14 MLAs resign, the count would be 211. Excluding the speaker, that’d be 210. In that case, whichever side has 106 will emerge victorious.
What if there's a tie?
If there's a tie, then the Speaker can cast his vote, which would likely hand victory to the JD(S)-Cong alliance.
5. Not my fault: Siddaramaiah
)
Refuting claims about him being the reason behind the crisis in the ruling Karnataka coalition, Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that everybody is expected to be loyal to the party and not to a particular person. "I am in touch with 5-6 MLAs. I can't reveal all the details. Everybody is loyal to the party.
It is not a question of a person being loyal to me. Everybody is expected to be loyal to the party," Siddaramaiah told reporters when asked about the future course of action. The statement by the former chief minister comes a day after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi claimed that Siddaramaiah could be behind the resignation of the 11 coalition MLAs. "I feel that Siddaramaiah does not want this government to continue. He is probably trying to once again Chief Minister," he told reporters on Saturday here adding, "We are observing the situation. When the government falls by itself, we can do anything."
