Meanwhile, his office is also examining the letter of suspended Congress MLA Roshan Baig who submitted his resignation earlier in the day. Baig's resignation reduces the coalition numbers in the state assembly to 103 compared to the BJP's 105. Two Independents who withdrew support for the coalition on Monday are expected to support the BJP after they joined a rebel group in Mumbai on Monday.
After the mass resignations — 21 Congress and nine JD(S) ministers — the H D Kumaraswamy government in the state is barely hanging by a thread. Congress leaders, however, expressed confidence of rescuing the coalition with the move to reshuffle the Cabinet even as they accused the BJP of luring MLAs away with the offer of ministerial posts and money.
The fate of 15 rebels (10 Congress, 3 JD(S) and 2 Independents) who tendered their resignations over the past three days will also be decided today as the MLAs meet Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar. The MLAs who were earlier staying in a Mumbai resort were flown to Goa last evening, as per BJP sources. A BJP functionary said the resignation of 4-5 more legislators were also in the pipeline, including that of suspended Congress MLA Roshan Baig.
The exit of Independent MLAs H Nagesh and R Shankar, inducted into the Cabinet on June 14 to bolster numbers, reduced the coalition’s strength to 104 after 13 MLAs, 10 Congress and 3 JD(S), resigned Saturday. The coalition now comprises 69 Congress MLAs, 34 JD(S) and one BSP MLA compared to the BJP’s 107 (105 plus two Independents) in the 224-member House.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said he has “no fear” about the “political developments” and was concentrating instead on fulfilling his responsibilities. “I have no fear about the political developments, I will not discuss political developments… I have nothing do with what BJP people are doing and what others are doing,” he said, according to PTI.
Explained: Why all eyes are on the Karnataka Speaker
Leader of the Congress in the Assembly Siddaramaiah said: “I want to suggest on behalf of the Congress to all MLAs who have resigned because they were not made ministers and those looking to defect to the BJP that we will address their problems and resolve them and they should not take any desperate decisions. After the reshuffle, we will try to ensure another reshuffle to accommodate interests.”
READ | Congress says BJP plotting to pull down Opposition govts, Rajnath Singh denies
Meanwhile, the JD(S) moved its flock of 34 MLAs to a resort outside Bengaluru in an attempt to protect them from poaching. The Congress is also expected to conduct a similar exercise Tuesday after the CLP and ahead of an Assembly session on July 12, where the coalition could be asked to prove its numbers by the BJP.
After the conclusion of Congress' meeting in Bengaluru, Ghulam Nabi Azad said, "State after state, opposition Govt are being toppled and Government of India is using Governors for this."
A meeting of Congress leaders is underway in Bengaluru. KC Venugopal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Siddaramaiah, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Mallikarjun Kharge, Eshwar Khandre and Zameer Ahmad among other Congress leaders are present.
BJP kidnapped our MLAs, keeping them at gunpoint, said Congress leader Zameer Ahmad.
Karnataka Congress leader and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar will visit Mumbai to meet dissident legislators at noon on Wednesday.
As the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka plunges into more trouble, the Congress Tuesday rushed senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and B K Hariprasad to Bengaluru to solve the differences. Sources said UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi asked the leaders to mitigate the crisis in the southern state and save the government. Azad was the one who along with Ashok Gehlot stitched together the coalition government in Karnataka last year. (PTI)
Limbavali also said his party wants immediate intervention of Karnataka governor in the matter and will meet him on Wednesday in this regard.
BJP's Arvind Limbavali said the party has decided to protest in front of the Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday. "A meeting of Karnataka BJP MLAs was held under BS Yeddyurappa. Yesterday we decided to protest at district headquarters for the immediate resignation of CM. Today we have decided that all BJP MLAs will protest in front of Vidhan Soudha at 11:30 AM tomorrow," he said.
"We didn't go to Pune or Goa. All these are false rumours and came to Renaissance hotel in Powai yesterday night. BJP has not given us any offer. The claims of offer are completely wrong," said Karnataka Congress legislator BC Patil.
Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy has suggested JD(S) MLAs to be at Prestige Golfshire Club in Bengaluru for at least 4 days.
BJP MLAs went to Karnataka Assembly Speaker's office and left without meeting the Speaker, KR Ramesh Kumar, as he was not there.
A BJP leader claimed that the legislators have been brought back from Pune to Mumbai today around 12 pm. BJP legislator Prasad Lad accompanied them. "The MLAs are now staying at a hotel in Powai," the leader said, adding that they are likely to stay here for few days.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar also summoned the Congress rebel legislators today to meet him in his office in Bengaluru for clarifications on their resignations, as some of them were not in proper format and needed explanations for accepting them.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar Tuesday said eight of the 13 resignations submitted to him are not according to the law and he has given time to the MLAs to appear before him.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday raised slogans in Lok Sabha over the developments in Karnataka. This is for the first time that Gandhi was seen raising slogans in the 17th Lok Sabha. When Gandhi arrived, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was raising the Karnataka issue and accused the ruling party of "poaching" its MLAs in the state.
As other party leaders joined Chowdhury, Gandhi also followed. However, his pitch was not as high as others. He merely repeated the last words of the slogans.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday raised slogans in Lok Sabha over the developments in Karnataka. This is for the first time that Gandhi was seen raising slogans in the 17th Lok Sabha. When Gandhi arrived, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was raising the Karnataka issue and accused the ruling party of "poaching" its MLAs in the state.
As other party leaders joined Chowdhury, Gandhi also followed. However, his pitch was not as high as others. He merely repeated the last words of the slogans.
BJP workers protest in Dharwad calling for resignation of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and formation of BJP government in Karnataka.
Congress MPs in Lok Sabha walkout of the House in protest against the political situation in Karnataka. "Poaching politics should be stopped forever," Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. Defending Centre, Rajnath Singh said, "Whatever is happening in Karnataka is Congress' personal affair, but they are not able to contain it."
Senior Congress leader and former minister R Roshan Baig resigned from his membership in the Karnataka legislative assembly. "I have come to the speaker's chamber and have submitted my resignation to speaker KR Ramesh Kumar," he confirmed. Roshan Baig, the MLA from Shivajinagar in Bangalore was suspended from the Congress party on June 18 for 'anti-party activities.'" He also denied any allegations of joining BJP. ""As of today I am in the Congress party. I have not resigned from the party. I will be in Bengaluru and have no plans to fly to Mumbai or Goa. I will continue to fulfil my duties as the (Karnataka State) Haj Committee Chairman."
Addressing the media after the CLP meeting, former chief minister Siddaramaiah requested the rebel MLAs to withdraw their resignation. Adding that the leaders "fell into the trap set by BJP," Siddarmaiah said the resignations were "not voluntary and genuine." "People of Karnataka have not given the mandate to BJP. The resignations made by the MLAs are not voluntary and genuine, attracting anti-defection law according to the tenth schedule of the Indian Constitution. We have requested the speaker to disqualify them."
"We will still stage a dharna against the conspiracy, undemocratic and unconstitutional act of the BJP. All our MLAs and MLCs will stage a dharna next to Mahatma Gandhi's statue for an hour today. Then we will go to the speaker's chamber to submit the petition. All our (Congress) MLAs have pledged to stand by the decision of the party," he added
Karnataka Speaker said the resignations can be unaccepted if the Office of Speaker feels that are not genuine. "The clause says if the Speaker is convinced that the resignations are voluntary & genuine he can accept otherwise...I don't know, I am not a well-read man. I have to see..."
"It has become their (Congress) nature to allege anybody for their failure. Their MLAs have submitted their resignations to the Governor. We are monitoring the situation and will decide accordingly," Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said.
Rajya Sabha proceedings adjourned till noon following uproar by Cong members over developments in Karnataka. Meanwhile, Congress MPs Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and K Suresh have given adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the matter. Follow Parliament LIVE updates here
Launching an attack on the BJP, Karnataka minister DK Shivakumar questioned why Yeddyurappa's PA is picking up all coalition leaders. " Mr Rajnath Singh is telling that 'we are nowhere bothered, we are not interested, we don't know about this' (political situation in Karnataka). BS Yeddyurappa is also saying the same, but he's sending his PA to pick up all our Ministers," he told news agency ANI
Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao expressed confidence that the government will "survive" the recent crisis. "I am confident that the govt will survive and govt will stay. That I am confident about," Rao told news agency ANI.
Congress leader MTB Nagaraj is not attending the Congress CLP meeting today due to ill health. A Siddaramaiah loyalist, he was seen yesterday on TV stating that he had not resigned as an MLA. Speculation was that he was one of those looking for a way out. He is among the richest MLA's in Karnataka with assets of more than Rs 1000 crores.
The role of the Speaker becomes key given the fact that the crisis is all about numbers. He will decide on whether and when to accept a demand for a floor test. If the resignation letters are in order and in the prescribed format, Kumar will have little option but to accept the letters. But he can still play a waiting game. The moment he accepts the resignation letters of the MLAs, the coalition government will plunge into a minority.
Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar, who will today take a call on the resignation of 15 MLAs said he would "act as per Constitution." "Rebels are not my relatives. I am nowhere related to the current political developments. Decisions will be taken upholding the Constitution. I will also ensure that the public's view on the issue is kept in mind. Till now, no MLA has sought an appointment with me. If anyone wants to meet me, I will be available in my office," he said, reported news agency ANI.
The Congress Legislature Party meeting began Tuesday under the leadership of Siddaramaiah. The BJP legislature party is also scheduled to meet again today under the leadership of Yeddyurappa.
Sowmya Reddy, Jayanagar MLA and daughter of Ramalinga Reddy, is now attending the Congress Legislature party meeting being held in Bengaluru. This is a significant development as it indicates a growing softening of the stance of the Ramalinga Reddy family towards the Congress party. There was speculation yesterday that she might be joining the rebels in Mumbai. There was also speculation that she had met up with Sonia Gandhi during her trip to Delhi. However, there was no official confirmation from either side on the issue.
Senior Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy met with his supporters, Congress leaders and even friends in the BJP, but stated that he had resigned only as an MLA and not from the Congress party. He had taken the decision since he was hurt by certain actions. However, he said that he is not in touch with the rebel MLAs in Mumbai, and his doors are open for one and all to come and meet him. Supporters are raising slogans pressurising him to stay with the Congress party, while BJP leader S R Vishwanath too met him for discussions.
Welcome to The Indian Express LIVE blog on the political developments in Karnataka. Will the Congress-JDS government survive the blow of mass resignations or will the BJP be able to upstage the incumbent? Follow this space to track the latest developments