'No Threat To Government In Karnataka', Asserts Siddaramaiah Amid Political Crisis

11 MLAs resigned from their posts on Saturday, while two other Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned from the government earlier this week.

Image: PTI

New Delhi:  As a political crisis looms large over the coalition government in Karnataka, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah held BJP responsible behind the defection of MLAs, and asserted that there is no threat to the government. As 10 MLAs of the Congress-JDS combine remain lodged in a Mumbai hotel where they reached last evening, Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar met JDS leader and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda at his residence in Bengaluru. "They've (JDS) called a meeting of their party leaders. We'll also call our party leaders and sort out this issue. I'm confident things will cool down immediately. In interest of nation&both parties we've to run govt smoothly. I'm confident MLAs will come back", said Shivakumar after meeting Deve Gowda. The road to a BJP government in Karnataka appeared obvious, as 10 Congress-JDS coalition MLAs arrived at Sofitel hotel in Mumbai after tendering their resignations, shoving the coalition in an unpreventable crisis. However, party leader Siddaramaiah said: "This clearly shows that BJP is behind all these defections. It is Operation Kamala...Everything is fine. Don't worry. Govt will survive, there is no threat to the government.” "I am in touch with 5-6 MLAs. I can't reveal all details. Everybody is loyal to the party. It is not a question of a person being loyal to me. Everybody is expected to be loyal to the party," he said. BJP leader Yeddyurappa had earlier in the day said that he is nowhere related to the ongoing crisis in the coalition. "I am going to Tumkur and I will come back at 4 pm. You know about the political developments. Let's wait and see. I don't want to answer to what HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah say. I am nowhere related to this." Resignations so far: Altogether, 13 MLAs of the alliance have submitted their resignation to the Speaker so far. 11 MLAs resigned from their posts on Saturday, while two other Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi resigned from the government earlier this week. Those MLAs, who resigned from the Assembly, include BC Patil, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda, S Hebbar, Mahesh Kumatalli, Gopalayya, Ramesh Jharkiholi, and Pratap Gowda Patil. The dissident MLAs have reached Mumbai and are staying in resorts. Ten Congress, JDS MLAs arrived at Sofitel hotel in Mumbai later on Saturday evening. The legislators arrived there by a chartered flight, sources said. After this dramatic turn of events, the state government appeared to have fallen into a minority forcing Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is in the US, to cut short his visit. He is expected to fly back here on Sunday. The number-game: The strength of the ruling coalition in Karnataka has come down to 105, which is eight short of the half-way mark of 113 for a majority. Of the 79 legislators of Congress, 10 have resigned , while, three of 37 JDS legislator have resigned. 69 Congress MLAs abd 34 JDS MLAs now remain in the Assembly from the coalition givernmnet. BSP has 1 in the Assembly, while there is 1 independent MLA. Congress holds BJP responsible: Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala attacked the BJP, saying "the new word for 'aaya ram gaya ram' is MODI -- mischievously orchestrated defections in India". "The Karnataka government which is a joint government having complete majority is now being sought to be pulled down by defections and resignations," he said. In New Delhi, senior leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mukul Wasnik, and Randeep Singh Surjewala held an emergency meeting to assess the situation in the state. BJP blames Congress-JDS internal feud: In a release, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said "Me and my party have nothing to do with the developments in other rival parties. I have heard through media that Congress and JD(S) legislators have resigned from their assembly seats." He said his party was busy with its membership drive.  The BJP state chief maintained "One thing I can say that people are not ready for elections. Elections are a burden on state exchequer." BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan denied reports that he was coordinating the MLAs travel and stay in Mumbai. "The MLAs have gone on their own. BJP has nothing to do with it," Ashwath Narayan was quoted as saying by PTI. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut Saturday called the political turmoil in neighbouring Karnataka as "real drama" and said the "collapse" of the non-BJP government there was "bound to happen". Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said that the MLAs had decided to resign as they thought it was not in the interest of the people of the state and their constituency to be part of the current government. "If the Governor calls us, certainly we are ready to form the government as we are the single largest party. We have got 105 people with us," he said.