Karnataka’s 11 MLAs resign in Bengaluru; coalition govt in trouble

Bengaluru: Karnataka coalition government is under threat as at least 11 MLAs have tendered their resignations, as confirmed by Speaker Ramesh Kumar's office in Bengaluru on Saturday (July 6). Among the 12 who were present at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru, 11 MLAs have submitted their resignation to Speaker's personal assistant Roopashri, latest reports stated.

The 11 MLAs are:

1. AH viswhanath

2. Ramesh Jarkiholi

3. ST Somashekar

4. Pratap Gowda Patil

5. Gopalaiah

6. BC Patil

7. Mahesh Kumathalli

8. Narayana Gowda

9. Byrati Basavaraj

10. Shivaram Hebbar

11. Ramalinga Reddy

Known as the Congress trouble shooter, water resources minister DK Shivakumar reached the Speaker's office to convince the MLAs against their decision. MLAs Ramalinga Reddy, Byrati Basavaraj and ST Somashekar headed back with Shivakumar. But eight of the 11, who submitted their resignations, went ahead to meet the Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan.

The eight MLAs are:

Congress legislators:

Pratap Gowda Patil, Maski

BC Patil, Hirekerur

Ramesh Jarkiholi, Gokak

Shivaram Hebbar, Yellapura

Mahesh Kumathalli, Athani

JDS legislators:

Gopalaiah, Mahalakshmi Layout

H Vishwanath, Hunsur

Narayana Gowda, KR Pet

Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is in the US, is flying back to the country and will be here early tomorrow morning (July 7). 

Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) 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 Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa.

Based on another theory doing the rounds, it has been said that Basavaraj, Somashekhar and Munirathna are close aides of former chief minister, Congress leader Siddaramaiah and that it might be the latter's ploy to destabilise the government.

Ramalinga Reddy recently met with the top leadership in the saffron party, highly reliable sources from the BJP said.

A meeting is to be held by the BJP on July 15 and the saffron party would decide the next course of action then, 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 B Sriramulu said that the coalition government should step down and give way to Yeddyurappa to form the government, after this development.

"People had chosen 105 MLAs from the BJP in the Assembly election held last year, but still the Congress and 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.

According to Congress leader Sathish Jarkiholi, if the MLAs submit their resignation and the Speaker accepts it, then there will be reverse operation by the 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 said