Hectic parleys to mollify rebel MLAs, BJP wants trust vote on

With the Karnataka political crisis continuing, coalition leaders Saturday were locked in hectic parleys to pacify rebel MLAs, as the BJP upped the ante and said it would press Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to seek the trust vote Monday.

A day after Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy made a surprise announcement in the Assembly that he would seek a trust vote, efforts were intensified to reach out to the dissident legislators.

After almost day-long negotiations, it appeared that Congress had made some headway in pacifying one of its MLAs, M T B Nagaraj, who hinted that he might consider withdrawing his resignation, but fell short of making any final announcement till the evening.

The BJP, however, made it clear that it will press Kumaraswamy to seek the trust vote in the Assembly on Monday, a day prior to the Supreme Court hearing the petition of rebel MLAs, who have resigned.

Meanwhile, five more rebel Congress MLAs moved the Supreme Court Saturday against the Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar not accepting their resignation.

MLAs Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, N Nagaraj (MTB), Munirathna and Roshan Baig have sought impleadment in the already pending application filed by the 10 other rebels MLAs on which the hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

The coalition government is on a shaky wicket with 16 MLAs -- 13 of the Congress and three of the JD(S) -- resigning their assembly membership. Besides, two independent legislators, who were made ministers recently to provide stability, have quit the ministry and withdrawn support.

The independents H Nagesh and R Shankar, who are now supporting the BJP, have written to the speaker requesting him to allot them seats on the opposition side in the House.

As part of efforts to reach out to dissident MLAs, Congress' "troubleshooter" and minister D K Shivakumar reached Nagaraj's residence early Saturday morning and camped there for almost half-a-day, trying to pacify the Hoskote MLA.

Subsequently, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara among other leaders too reached Nagaraj's house to persuade him to withdraw his resignation.

Nagaraj, who tendered his resignation on July 10, however, kept the Congress leaders on tenterhooks even after day long deliberations with him to rethink his decision.

Earlier in the day, flanked by Congress leaders, he had hinted that he might consider withdrawing his resignation and also said he would try to persuade others.

"Siddaramaiah (CLP leader) and Dinesh Gundu Rao (KPCC chief) called me and requested me to withdraw the resignation and stay in the party.

I have sought time to mull over it. I told them I will speak to Chikkaballapura MLA Sudhakar and persuade him to withdraw his resignation. We are planning to stay here only," Nagaraj told reporters.

Asked if all the differences were sorted out, Nagaraj said he had resigned due to certain "discontentment" and that there was disagreement in every political party.

"The party high-command is trying to persuade the MLAs. I will also try my best to help them in their efforts," he added before leaving for Siddaramaiah's residence with some party leaders.

On coming out from Siddaramaiahs house, Nagaraj said, "Negotiations are going on. He (Siddaramaiah) has spoken good things."
Asked whether he has changed his mind, he said "We all are trying for it only."