Opposition Lotus: 12 Karnataka MLAs resign from the Assembly

BENGALURU: In a move that virtually spells the end of the shaky 13-month-old Janata Dal (S)-Congress Karnataka government if not the coalition itself, three JD(S) and nine Congress MLAs resigned from the Assembly, catching the leadership of both the parties by surprise on Saturday. The troubled ruling coalition faces the risk of losing majority if the resignations are accepted.

While the resignations are yet to be formally accepted by Speaker Ramesh Kumar, 10 disgruntled MLAs were flown to Mumbai by coalition strategists in a bid to convince them to reconsider their decision.

To questions on the future of the government, the Speaker said, “Let’s wait and see, I have nothing to do with it. Whether the government will fall or survive, it will be decided in the Assembly.” Mr Kumar, who was not in his office when the legislators went there, is likely to take up the matter on Tuesday.

The drama unfolded a day before Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s return from a holiday in the US on Sunday evening. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday could be advanced to Monday evening to recommend dissolution of the Assembly.

The monsoon session of the Assembly is scheduled to commence on July 12.

The three senior JD(S) legislators who resigned are A.H. Vishwanath who had been replaced as the state unit president only days before, JD(S) senior vice- president and Mahalaxmi Layout MLA K. Gopalaiah and Narayana Gowda.

Those from the Congress who resigned include former minister R. Ramalinga Reddy, who is upset over being denied a berth in the Cabinet, former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who made way for his sibling in a reshuffle in 2018, Mahesh Kumathalli, Pratap-gouda Patil, Munirathna, Bhairati Basavaraj, S.T. Somashekhar, Shivaram Hebbar and B.C. Patil.