Meanwhile, Karnataka chief minister Kumaraswamy, who was on the US tour, is heading back as Congress leaders are desperately trying to reach out to the disgruntled legislators
Bengaluru: The coalition government in Karnataka is under threat as at least 11 MLAs have tendered their resignations, as confirmed by Speaker Ramesh Kumar's office in Bengaluru. Latest reports claim that among the 12, who were present at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, 11 MLAs have submitted their resignation to Speaker's personal assistant Roopashri.
The 11 MLAs are:
1) AH Viswhanath
2) Ramesh Jarkiholi
3) ST Somashekar
4) Pratap Gouda patil
5) Gopalaiah
6) BC patil
7) Mahesh Kumtahallli
8) Narayana Gowda
9) Byrati Basavaraj
10) Shivram Hebbar
11) Ramalinga Reddy
Known as trouble shooter, water resources minister DK Shivakumar reached the Speaker's office to convince the MLAs against their decision. While MLAs Ramalinga Reddy, Byrathi Basavaraj and ST Somashekhar headed back with DK Shivakumar, 8 of the 11, who submitted their resignations, went ahead to meet the Governor at the Raj Bhavan.
The 8 MLAs are:
Congress Legislators:
Pratap Gowda Patil, Maski
BC Patil, Hirekerur
Ramesh Jarkiholi, Gokak
Shivaram Hebbar, Yellapura
Mahesh Kumtahalli, Atheni
JDS Legislators:
Gopalaiah, Mahalakshmi Layout
H Vishwanath, Hunsur
Narayan Gowda, KR Pet
Meanwhile, chief minister Kumaraswamy, who is in the US, is flying back to the country. He will be here early tomorrow morning.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president Dinesh Gundu Rao, who is on a foreign tour, has cut short his tour and is rushing to Bengaluru.
Speculations are that this move is influenced by Operation Kamala carried out by BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa.
Another theory doing the rounds is that Byrati Basavaraj, ST Somashekhar and Muniratna are close aides of former chief minister, Congress leader Siddaramaiah and it might be the latter's ploy to destabilise the government.
Highly reliable sources from the BJP say that Ramalinga Reddy recently met with the top leadership in the saffron party.
The BJP is set to hold a meeting on July 15 and the saffron party would decide the next course of action, say party sources.
Speaking on the occasion, BJP leader Aravind Limbavali said, "It is Congress's own making, dissent in the party has led to this."
Another BJP leader Sriramulu said that after this development, the coalition government should step down and give way to BJP's Yeddyurappa to form the government. "People had chosen 105 MLAs from the BJP in the Assembly election held last year, but still Congress and the JD(S) got together and formed the government against the wishes of people. Kumaraswamy should resign as the chief minister," said Sriramulu in Molakalmuru, Karnataka.
Congress leader Sathish Jarkiholi also reacted to the news and said if the MLAs submit their resignation and the Speaker accepts it, then there will be reverse operation by Congress and JD(S). A team in Bengaluru is working towards it. "Congress and JD(S) know very well how to save the government," he added.
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