Efforts by coalition leaders to mollify rebel MLA Nagaraj fail

Efforts by coalition leaders to mollify rebel Congress MLA M T B Nagaraj has failed as he flew to Mumbai Sunday, where he made it clear that there was no question of withdrawing his resignation.

Leaders of the Congress-JD(S) coalition held negotiations with Nagaraj on Saturday in a bid to woo him back to save the 13-month old H D Kumaraswamy-led government that is on the brink of collapse.

However, the Hoskote MLA, speaking to reporters ahead of leaving the city, had maintained that he intended to take a final decision on the withdrawal of his resignation after talks with Chikkaballapura MLA K Sudhakar.

Nagaraj and Sudhakar had submitted their resignations together to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on July 10.

Minutes after speaking to the media, visuals of Nagaraj boarding a chartered flight had surfaced on local news channels.

Later in the day, speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Nagaraj said there was no question of withdrawing his resignation and that he was "firm" on the decision.

Stating that all MLAs who have resigned are together, he denied that senior BJP leader R Ashoka had flown with him on the special flight or that the saffron party's influence was behind their resignations.

Nagaraj, however, admitted saying that he would withdraw his resignation if Sudhakar too agreed, but maintained that he was now firm on his resignation.

Earlier in the day, Congress MLA and former minister H K Patil had said "Nagaraj must have learnt that Sudhakar is in Mumbai and I feel he has gone there to bring him and other legislators back."
They have been saying that it is the internal matter of Congress and the JD(S) and they have no knowledge about it."
After pacifying and convincing Sudhakar, I will try to bring him back. Because we both had resigned together, so we want to be united. I have informed this to Congress leaders."
"I'm also trying for it (withdraw). Only thing is that I have to meet Sudhakar, I haven't met him. I will meet him, he should be somewhere," he said, adding "my intention is that we have to withdraw it (resignation) together."