From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 10: Barring a change of heart among the disgruntled MLAs belonging to the crisis-ridden Congress-JDS(S) ruling coalition, the H D Kumaraswamy-led government is reaching is on the brink of the precipice.
The State Legislature session slated to commence from July 12 is expected to be crucial for the survival of the Kumaraswamy government.
The latest resignation by two more Congress MLAs - M T B Nagaraj and K Sudhakar –was followed by high drama in the third floor of State Secretariat in Vidhana Soudha.
Both Nagaraj and Sudhakar have abstained from the Congress Legislature party meeting on Tuesday.
Three JD(S) MLAs, 13 Congress MLAs have submitted resignations.
With this total number resignation of MLAs has increased to 16 from JD(S) and Congress.
Already two Independents had withdrawn. Hence the total number has reached 18.
However, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar said that only five resignation papers were given in a proper procedure.
The short budget session of the State Legislature is due to commence from July 12.
Soon after the resignations were submitted, Sudhakarand Nagaraj left the place.
Some Congress leaders took away Sudhakar inside the office Industries Minister K J George in an apparent bid to woo him back into the party-fold.
Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge and KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao were among those closeted with him. Soon after, former chief minister Siddaramaiah too entered the scene.
Meanwhile, the BJP is protesting “manhandling” of an MLA in the corridors of power. Speaking to presspersons, BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa called in “goondaism.”
BJP MLA M P Renukacharya and Congress MLA U T Khader indulged in a verbal duel at the door steps of the Vidhana Soudha.
Following the verbal duel between Legislators, City Police Commissioner Alok Kumar rushed to the State secretariat to take control of the situation.
Meanwhile, the BJP MLAs and MLCs staged a dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the premises of the Vidhana Soudha, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, alleging that he had lost the majority in the House.
The protesters maintained that the chief minister had lost moral right to continue in power in the wake of some of the ruling MLAs submitting resignations to their assembly membership. They argued that the coalition government has lost majority.
The BJP legislators and protesters also took exception to the delay by Speaker Ramesh Kumar in accepting resignations of rebel MLAs and urged him to act at the earliest.
A delegation of BJP leaders comprising Party State President Yeddyurappa and others are meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala seeking his intervention to resolve the political crisis in the State.
Yeddyurappa told party legislators in Bengaluru that the BJP delegation would try to appeal to the Governor that chief minister H D Kumaraswamy has lost majority in the Assembly.
In another development, water resources minister D K Shivakumar had booked a room in the Mumbai hotel where rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs from the state are staying but the reservation was cancelled “due to some emergency”.
No charges will be applicable, the Renaissance Hotel in Powai said in an e-mail. The e-mail communication is from the assistant reservation manager.