Cong-JD(S) Govt in K’taka in Crisis Amid Resignations: Highlights

12 rebel MLAs submitted their resignations to Governor Vajubhai Vala, sending the Karnataka government into turmoil.

Dealing yet another blow to the wobbly Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, led by HD Kumaraswamy, 12 legislators of the ruling alliance submitted their resignations at the Speaker's office on Saturday, 6 July.

The resignations, that come soon after two MLAs quit on Monday, have left the ruling alliance with just 105 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly.

In order to form the government, a party needs 113 MLAs in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, something the Congress-JD(S) alliance will fall short of if the resignations are accepted by the Speaker.

If the resignations of all 13 MLAs are accepted then the majority mark also comes down to 106 from 113.

The BJP, which has 105 legislators, has already declared that it should be invited to form a new government if the ruling coalition lacks the numbers.

Here is how the political turmoil in Karnataka has played out so far:

• The BJP, which has 105 MLAs in Karnataka, needs 15 MLAs to resign in order to stake claim to form its own government. After Saturday’s resignations, the BJP will now require only one more MLA to resign.
• The resignations are subject to the approval of the Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar.
• Kumar has said he will talk to the dissident MLAs on Tuesday, 9 July, when he reaches office. He is away to tend to personal matters currently.
• The Congress, meanwhile, says the BJP has flown 11 MLAs, who resigned from the Congress on Saturday, to Mumbai. They were taken on a private jet and checked-in to a five-star hotel on Saturday night.
• Congress leaders have alleged that the resignations that came on Saturday are a plot by the BJP to overthrow the ruling alliance in the state. Mallikarjun Kharge told the media on Sunday that the reports of his name doing the rounds for the chief minister's post are just flimsy details fed to the media.

• Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also accused PM Narendra Modi of encouraging defections on Saturday. He called the prime minister ‘a symbol of horse trading politics’ and said, ‘MODI = Mischievously Orchestrated Defections in India.’
• Even Karnataka Chief Minister Kumaraswamy is said to have cut his personal visit to the US short following the developments in the state. He is expected to return on Sunday.
• Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Shivakumar had called an emergency meeting soon after the resignations.
• Congress’ known troubleshooter in Karnataka, DK Shivkumar, on Saturday, also claimed to tear up the resignation letters of the rebelling lawmakers.
• The BJP has denied having any role in the resignations. "I don't want to answer to what Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah say. I am nowhere related to this," BJP’s state chief BS Yeddyurappa said on Saturday.
• On Sunday, Congress general secretary in-charge Venugopal is expected to hold a meeting with top Congress leaders at a hotel, which is being attended by Siddharamaiah, Eshwer Khandr, MB Patil, Shivakumar and others.
• In another meeting, Shivkumar also met with JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda on Sunday, 7 July.