Bengaluru: When a person sees even a blade of grass as he drowns, he clutches onto it, hoping against hope that he would be saved. But in reality, the blade of grass can in no way rescue him! This is the exact situation the chief minister of Karnataka HD Kumaraswamy seems to be in.

As more and more MLAs desert a hapless Karnataka coalition, Kumaraswamy knows he’s flogging a dead horse. Yet, as the proverbial ‘Never say die’ the CM is prevailing upon former CM Siddaramaiah to save him from disaster.

Sources say, “A desperate chief minister met former CM Siddaramaiah and prayed to him to rescue his government from the brink of disaster. He has asked the chief minister to ring up rebel MLAs and exhort them not to resign. In case it doesn’t fructify, the chief minister has asked Siddaramaiah to travel to Mumbai, meet the rebel MLAs and influence them to withdraw their resignations.”

Though we are yet to know how Siddaramaiah would respond to this, political pundits say it is a ploy to put Siddaramaiah in a spot. If the government goes on to lose, Siddaramaiah would be made the fall guy.

The BJP is only echoing its earlier claim.

“This last-ditch effort is just an act of crying over spilt milk. He (Kumaraswamy) too knows that the coalition is on the throes of death. No amount of mending fences will help. The disgruntled elements will not dance to the tunes of anyone. When they did not pay heed to these leaders when they were in Bengaluru, why will they do it when they are in Mumba?” says Shreenath Sheshadri, a BJP spokesperson.

Suresh Kumar, a BJP MLA from Rajajinagar, had to say this: 

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Meanwhile, CM Kumaraswamy will take up the trust vote on Thursday, July 18. Though there was some confusion regarding the date, it was formally announced by the Speaker of the House.