Bengaluru, July 8
The JD(S)-Congress government in Karnataka was on the verge of collapse with a lone legislator from a regional party and an Independent MLA today withdrawing their support to the ruling coalition, which has already been hit by the resignations by over a dozen MLAs of the two parties.
R Shankar, leader of regional outfit KPJP, resigned as Karnataka Municipal Administration Minister, and H Nagesh, an Independent MLA, quit as Minister for Small Scale Industries.
Both also withdrew their crucial support to the ruling coalition headed by JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, even as it made desperate attempts to save their 13-month-old government.
As part of the effort, the JD(S) and Congress asked all their ministers to resign to pave the way for reconstitution of the Cabinet to accommodate the disgruntled and rebel MLAs. Accordingly, all 22 Congress ministers and nine JD(S) ministers submitted their resignations.
The developments followed resignation by 10 MLAs of the Congress and three of the JD(S) from the Assembly two days ago, expressing lack of confidence in the government.
Most Congress MLAs, after resigning on Saturday, left Karnataka and parked themselves in a hotel in Mumbai. They planned to return to Bengaluru on Tuesday to meet the Speaker and press for their resignations, sources said.
“I have tendered my resignation from the Cabinet headed by Kumaraswamy,” said Nagesh, an Independent MLA from Mulbagal (SC) Assembly constituency, in a letter to Governor Vajubhai Vala earlier in the day. Nagesh, who handed over the letter to Vala, also mentioned he was withdrawing his support to the government. In the evening, Shankar also resigned and said he would extend support to the BJP. A Raj Bhavan communiqué said Shankar had extended support to the BJP.
Ranebennur MLA Shankar floated the KPJP and contested the May 2018 Assembly polls after leaving the Congress for being denied the party ticket. Kumaraswamy had inducted Shankar and Nagesh into the Cabinet on June 14 to ensure their support to his shaky government facing revolt from a dozen Congress rebel legislators since December. Both had withdrawn support to the coalition government on January 15, after Shankar was dropped from the ministry on December 22 in a minor Cabinet reshuffle.
The ruling coalition faces the threat of losing its majority if the resignations of the 13 rebel MLAs are accepted. The Congress has petitioned the Speaker not to accept their resignations. — Agencies
I have no fear: Kumaraswamy
I have no fear about the political developments... I have nothing to do with what BJP people are doing … I have the responsibility of governing the state, my attention is towards fulfilling that responsibility. — HDK, Karnataka CM
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