Cong, JDS leaders sound optimistic of resolving crisis

On the back-foot following resignation of two Congress MLAs, the ruling coalition leaders in Karnataka Wednesday continued efforts to placate them and sounded cautiously optimistic about resolving the crisis.

Amid fears that more disgruntled legislators might quit and join hands with BJP, the leaders, including JDS-Congress coalition coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah and Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is in the US, reached out to them to diffuse the situation, sources in the parties said.

The two leaders contacted disgruntled legislators personally and have made efforts to pacify them, the sources said, adding attempts were also being made to convince the two legislators to withdraw their resignations, which are yet to be accepted by the assembly Speaker.

The two MLAs -- Anand Singh (Vijayanagara constituency) and Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak) -- tendered their resignations Monday, triggering a fresh crisis for the 13-month old Congress-JD(S) government that has been grappling with dissidence and differences within.

Siddaramaiah, who is also the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, however, maintained only Singh has resigned and Jarkiholi's resignation had not reached the Assembly Speaker.

Jarkiholi, who has been cut up with the Congress since he was dropped from the ministry last year, had said he sent his resignation through fax and would meet the Speaker soon, but till Wednesday he had not turned up.

Siddaramaiah exuded confidence Singh may withdraw his resignation