Coalition crisis continues in Karnataka, one more minister quits

The political crisis in Karnataka deepened on Monday with a minister resigning and withdrawing support to the Kumaraswamy government even as Congress made last-ditch attempts by making 21 ministers to resign in a bid to woo dissidents back with the carrot of ministership.

H. Nagesh, an Independent MLA who was inducted into the government only last month, met Governor Vajubhai Vala, and submitted his resignation from the government. He gave a letter withdrawing support to the coalition government and offered support to a new BJP led government.

Facing a crisis, the Congress made all its 21 ministers resign from the government so that it can the pave for a reshuffle of the Cabinet in which the dissidents, who have resigned, could be accommodated. They sent their resingations to the state Congress President.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, who returned from the US yesterday, and the Congress leaders claimed that the government was safe and would continue. They accused the BJP of trying to topple the government, a charged denied by the saffron party.

Speaking reporters, Kumaraswamy said, "The issue will be resolved, don't worry. This government will run smoothly."

Echoing similar sentiments, Karnataka Congress in-charge KC Venugopal said that those who have resigned should come back and strengthen their own party and defeat the designs of BJP.

"We are confident that they will come back to us and this government will continue", he said after discussions with Congress leaders including former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Venugopal said this was the sixth attempt by BJP to topple the coalition government and he was sure the party would fail the sixth time also.

He all the 21 have resigned voluntarily from the cabinet so that a reshuffle of the ministry can take place.

Siddaramaiah also said all the 21 ministers resigned voluntarily and they have faith in the party. A reshulffle would take place, he said in an indication that some of the dissidents could resile on their resignation and come back to the party fold.

However, Karnataka BJP dismissed all Congress charges and said the party does not use the Governor's office for its benefit as claimed by Congress.

"When Congress was ruling at the Centre, they were using the Governor's office for their party. BJP has no culture of using Governor's office," BJP leader R Ashok told reporters when asked about the Congress charge that the BJP is using Governor's office politically.

The 13-month-old coalition government slumped into a crisis following the resignation of their 11 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly on June 6. Another Congress MLA Anand Singh had resigned a few days earlier.

JD(S) MLA H Vishwanath had on Saturday claimed that 14 MLAs have jointly tendered their resignations to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and requested him to accept them.With the dramatic turn of events, Kumaraswamy had to cut short his US visit and return to Bengaluru on Sunday, as the state government appears to have fallen into a minority.

The strength of the ruling coalition in Karnataka has come down to 105, which is eight short of the half-way mark of 113.

Apart from Congress strongman Ramalinga Reddy, Anand Singh, Ramesh Jarkiholi, BC Patil, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda, S Hebbar, Mahesh Kumatalli, Gopalayya, and Pratap Gowda Patil have tendered resignations. However, the Speaker is yet to accept the resignations.

As many as 10 of the rebel MLAs are lodged in a Mumbai hotel.