Crisis in Karnataka deepens with four Congress MLAs rumoured to be resigning today. Two independent MLAs have already withdrawn their support to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government and as per reports, at least 12-13 Congress MLAs might resign in the coming days bringing the house strength to 106.
According to reports, to counter effect of resigning MLAs, Congress is trying to lure BJP MLAs by offering them a ministerial berth, unconditionally. BJP had alleged yesterday that Congress is trying to poach BJP MLAs so as to stabilize the collapsing government.
Downplaying the crisis on hand, Kumaraswamy has claimed that his government is stable and intact. He said that he is in touch with the Congress MLAs who are in Mumbai and all is well. “Two MLAs withdrawing support from my government does not matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, as per reports, BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa is holding a meeting with the BJP MLAs in a hotel in Gurugram even as Congress Legislature Party meeting has been called in Bengaluru on 18th January. Meanwhile, Congress workers have taken to protesting outside the Gurugram hotel where BJP Karnataka MLAs are staying.
The crisis the Congress-JD(S) government emerged after, Karnataka Water Resources minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party was indulging in horse-trading and were luring three of its MLAs to camp at a Mumbai hotel in the “company of some BJP leaders”. He had also alleged CM Kumaraswamy of being extremely permissive and lenient towards BJP.
Congress-JD(S) coalition has been unstable since it came to power in 2017. Recently, Kumaraswamy claimed that he was being treated like a clerk instead of a chief minister. However, this was not the first time Chief Minister Kumaraswamy has lamented over his discomfort to work with the Congress party. Earlier in July, expressing his unhappiness over the coalition government, Kumaraswamy had cried saying he was unhappy and swallowing the poison of a coalition government.
Earlier, JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, had declared that JD(S) will not be a part of Mahagtabnadhan and go alone in 2019 general elections. He had cited its worker’s complaints regarding the “Big Brother” attitude of Congress, after winning recent assembly elections.
Currently, in 224 sets assembly of Karnataka, JD(S) has 37 seats, Congress has 80 seats and BJP has 104 seats. Other than this BSP has 1 seat and there are two independent MLAs. As per reports, a major breakthrough is expected later in the day.