JD(S)-Cong govt plunges into deep crisis as 11 MLAs submit resignation

Eleven MLAs of the ruling JD(S)-Congress alliance in Karnataka submitted their resignation at the Speaker's office on Saturday, putting a question mark on the survival of the 13-month-old government.

The crisis, which had been brewing ever since the BJP swept the parliamentary polls in the state, deepened as eight MLAs of the Congress and three of the JD(S) reached the Speaker's office to put in their papers and later met Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan.

If their resignation is accepted, the wobbly ruling coalition will lose majority in the 224-member Assembly.

Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar, who was not in his office when the legislators went there, confirmed the resignations and said "whether the government will fall or survive" would be decided "in the Assembly".

As a last-ditch bid, Congress's "trouble shooter" and Minister D K Shivakumar met the legislators and tried to convince them.

Earlier this week, another Congress MLA, Anand Singh, submitted his resignation to the Speaker.

The JD(S)-Congress coalition's total strength, including those who have put in their papers, is 118 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37, BSP-1 and Independents-2), besides the Speaker.

The BJP has 105 MLAs in the House, where half-way mark is 113.

The MLAs who were seen at the Speaker's office include Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Pratap Gowda Patil (Maski), Shivram Hebbar (Yellapur), Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani), B C Patil (Hirekerur), Byratibasavaraj (K R Puram), S T Soma Shekar (Yashwanthpur) and Ramalinga reddy (BTM Layout) of the Congress.

The JD(S) MLAs are A H Vishwanath (Hunsur), who recently resigned as the party's state chief, Narayana Gowda (K R Pet), and Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout).

The Speaker told reporters, "11 of them have submitted resignation letters. I told officials to take the letters and issue acknowledgement...on Tuesday I will go to office and take further action in accordance with rules."
To questions on the future of the government, Kumar said, "Let's wait and see, I have nothing to do with it... Whether the government will fall or survive, it will be decided in the Assembly..."
The ruling coalition leaders had expressed fear that the