JD(S)-Cong MLAs resign in big numbers, Kumaraswamy govt may collapse

BENGALURU: The collapse of the 13-month-old JD(S)-Congress regime in Karnataka looked imminent on Saturday with sections of the Congress and JD(S) MLAs trooping to the Speaker’s office in Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru to quit their Assembly membership.

Speaker Ramesh Kumar confirmed that a total of 11 MLAs - eight of the Congress and three of the JD(S) - submitted their resignations till evening.

" I told officials to take the letters and issue acknowledgement...on Tuesday I will go to office and take further action in accordance with rules, " Kumar told reporters.


The Congress MLAs who have apparently quit are: Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Pratap Gowda Patil (Maski), Shivram Hebbar (Yellapur), Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani), B C Patil (Hirekerur), Byratibasavaraj (K R Puram), S T Soma Shekar (Yashwanthpur) and Ramalinga reddy (BTM Layout).

The JD(S) MLAs are A H Vishwanath (Hunsur), who recently resigned as the party's state chief, Narayana Gowda (K R Pet), and Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout).

The MLAs reached the Speaker's office in batches from noon and the number appeared to be swelling as the day progressed. Prominent among those who quit was seven-time Congress MLA and former minister Ramalinga Reddy, who confirmed his resignation on his way to the Speaker’s office.

It is not quite clear, however, if some Congress MLAs have kept their resignations “open ended” -- meaning they would withdraw if their party were to offer them ministership.

The Congress is stepping up its efforts to persuade the MLAs who have resigned to withdraw their resignations, promising them of ministerial positions.

The coalition regime may also take the drastic step of taking everyone’s resignation to restructure the entire ministry in an effort to save the regime. Congress's "trouble shooter" and Minister D K Shivakumar met some of the rebel legislators and tried to convince them

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and his two cabinet colleagues are away in the US. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao is also overseas on a private trip. So any crucial decision is unlikely till the CM returns.

The disgruntled MLAs teamed up together, and timed their resignations in a coordinated manner which caught the JD(S) and Congress camp by surprise. Each has his or her own reason to quit. Hunsur JD(S) MLA H.Vishwanath, who till the other day headed the JD(S) state unit, quit to settle scores against former CM Siddaramaiah, who heads the JD(S)-Congress Coordination council.

The JD(S)-Congress coalition's total strength, including those who have put in their papers, is 118 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37, BSP-1 and Independents-2), besides the Speaker. The BJP has 105 MLAs in the House, where half-way mark is 113.