Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : Two lawmakers withdrew support from the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka on Tuesday in a drama that plays out less than a year after the government was sworn in. Members of Legislative Assembly H Nagesh (Independent) and R Shankar (Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party) pulled out of the HD Kumaraswamy government.
In separate but identical letters now made available to the press, the lawmakers said they were withdrawing support extended to the coalition government of the Congress and the JDS with immediate effect.
The MLAs, who are now staying in a Mumbai hotel, requested the Governor to take “necessary action”.
The development comes amid allegations of poaching from both sides. The Congress, which holds majority in the House, accuses rivals BJP of trying to wean away its lawmakers—a charge the BJP denies.
The BJP, meanwhile, says it fears the Congress luring its own MLAs, and has even parked its own lawmakers at a resort in Haryana’s Nuh district near the national capital, according to sources.
BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and other senior leaders like Shobha Karandlaje are among the 104 MLAs staying put in the ITC Grand Bharat resort in Hasanpur Tauru in Nuh district since Monday.
Sources said the BJP legislators had been shifted to the resort in an attempt to keep the flock together and thwart any poaching attempt by the Congress-JD(S) combine.
“We are staying in the resort. We don’t know how long we are going to be here,” Shettar told journalist.
Three to four MLAs had gone back to the state for personal work and they would return soon, sources said.
According to media reports, six to eight Congress MLAs are ready to cross over to the BJP and some lawmakers of the ruling coalition have gone incommunicado.
There are also reports of some Congress and Independent MLAs staying at a hotel in Mumbai.
On Monday, both the ruling Congress-JDS coalition and opposition BJP traded charges of making a renewed bid to poach MLAs.
Rubbishing reports about the BJP attempting ‘Operation Lotus’ to topple the coalition government in Karnataka, state party chief Yeddyurappa had said that there was no truth in it and alleged that the Congress-JD(S) combine was trying to lure Opposition MLAs.
‘Operation Lotus’ is a reference to the BJP’s alleged bid to lure several opposition MLAs to defect to ensure stability of its then government headed by Yeddyurappa in 2008.
‘No threat’
The ruling coalition claims its government is under no threat despite the most recent pullout of two lawmakers.
AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said in a statement after the development: “There is no threat to the Kumaraswamy-led government in Karnataka”.
JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda echoed the statement.
“It is not in anybody’s hands, including the media. However much you cry hoarse, nothing will happen because it is in the hands of God. When a party (JDS) of 38 MLAs gets the blessings of a national party (Congress), it is all the wish of God,” Gowda said.
Gowda said it was an “illusion” to think that the Congress-JD(S) government was in trouble.
“You (the press) are under some confusion (about the stability of the government) as also is Yeddyurappa, but I’ve no such confusion. Nobody can destabilise the government because it is the wish of God,” the JD(S) supremo said.
Gowda also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over allegations that Rs 60 crore and ministerial positions were offered to the MLAs of the ruling coalition by the BJP.
“Does it look good that a national party (BJP) is hoarding its 104 MLAs? I am not talking about Amit Shah but Modi, who talks a lot throughout the day,” he said.
“All our MLAs are together at home. We are not worried about them,” he added.
Gowda said the Congress was unnecessarily worried.
“(KC) Venugopal (AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka affairs) has arrived here because he must have been shook after listening to some news, but there is no need for any confusion,” he said.
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy claimed on Monday that he had the support of 120 MLAs, and accused Yeddyurappa of making “futile attempts” to destabilise his government.
In the 224-member Assembly, the BJP has 104 members, Congress 79, JDS 37, BSP, KPJP and Independent one each, besides the Speaker. Also supporting the coalition is the BSP’s sole legislator in the House.
