2 independent MLAs withdraw support, Kumaraswamy says Karnataka govt stable

Two independent MLAs - R Shankar (Ranebennur) and H Nagesh (Mulabagal) - have withdrawn support to the ruling JD(S) - Congress coalition in Karnataka amid charges that the opposition BJP was engineering defections to topple the HD Kumaraswamy government.

Both announced their decision on Tuesday evening at a hotel in Mumbai, shortly after the Congress and JD-S accused the BJP of trying to lure ruling coalition MLAs under 'Operation Lotus', the name taken from a move by BS Yeddyurappa to save his BJP government in 2008.


"My support to coalition govt was to provide good and stable govt which utterly failed. There's is no understanding among coalition partners. So, I decided to go with BJP to install stable govt and see that govt performs better than the coalition," Nagesh told ANI.

Shankar has been upset with the government since he was dropped from the ministry last month.

Their resignation however will not hurt the government which has 118 MLAs on its side in the 224-member Assembly.

Reacting to the developments Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said: "I know my strength. My government is stable. Don't worry."

PTI quoted media reports saying six to eight Congress MLAs are ready to cross over to the BJP and that some lawmakers of the ruling coalition having gone incommunicado.

AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal held a meeting with Kumaraswamy after discussions with former chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, senior minister D K Shivakumar, home minister M B Patil and other party functionaries.

Later speaking to reporters, chief minister said "This 'Operation Lotus' is a false alarm created by media.

There is no threat to the government.I enjoy the news channels running programmes like soap opera about threat to the government."

In the 224-member Assembly, BJP has 104 members, Congress-79, JDS 3 37, BSP, KPJP and Independent one each, besides Speaker. BSP, KPJP and an Independent are supporting the coalition

Meanwhile, the BJP has reportedly shifted its 104 Karnataka MLAs to a resort in Haryana's Nuh district near the national capital fearing poaching of its legislators by the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition.
(With inputs from agencies)