Crisis has returned to the JD(S)-Congress led government in Karnataka as around eight MLAs of the alliance have reached the Karnataka Assembly Speaker’s office to tender their resignations. Three JD(S) MLAs and five Congress MLAs reached Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s office on Saturday afternoon to offer their resignation. Among them are JD(S) leaders AH Vishwanath and Gopalaiah Narayana Gowda and Congress leaders Ramalinga Reddy, Mahesh Kumthalli, BC Patil, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Shivaram Hebbar, Sowmya Reddy, Byrsthi Suresh and Pratapgouda Patil. However, the Speaker has refused to meet them so far.
Soon after the news of the legislators reaching Vidhana Soudha got out, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dinesh Gundu Rao rushed to former Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s residence.
The strength of the coalition government is 120 now. The Congress has 80 MLAs, JD(S) has 37 and there is there is 1 BSP MLA. Two independent MLAs – R Shankar from Ranebennur and H Nagesh from Mulbagal constituencies – are also supporting the coalition. Meanwhile, the BJP has 105 MLAs in the Karnataka Assembly. The majority mark in the Assembly is 113.
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is not in Karnataka and is currently abroad. Congress's troubleshooter DK Shivakumar has reached the Vidhana Soudha to try and retain the coalition MLAs. Speaking to the media ahead of his meeting with the MLAs, Shivakumar allayed fears and stated: "Nothing will happen, they are all our friends, nothing will happen to the government." The BJP has stated that it is confident that the government will fall.
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