Karnataka: Will Have To Examine If Resignations Of Rebel MLAs Are Genuine, Says Speaker

I would have to examine if the resignations by ruling Congress-JDS coalition MLAs were voluntary and genuine, said Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar after the rebel legislators reached Vidhan Vidhana Soudha here to meet him.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar. ANI Photo

BENGALURU: I would have to examine if the resignations by ruling Congress-JDS coalition MLAs were voluntary and genuine, said Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar after the rebel legislators reached Vidhan Vidhana Soudha here to meet him. As per the Karnataka Legislature Rules, intended resignation should be "in perfect format," he told reporters after meeting the disgruntled legislators. "Unfortunately, eight of the 13 letters that reached my office (last week) were not in the format," he said. Kumar also insisted that he was neither responsible for the current political situation nor its outcome. "MLAs have submitted resignation in right format now.. I will have to examine whether resignations are voluntary and genuine," he added. Kumar said he had earlier informed the legislators that if they are so intent to resign, they should resubmit their resignations in the prescribed form. As many as 10 Karnataka rebel MLAs, who were camping in Mumbai, arrived here by two special flights, hours after the Supreme Court allowed them to meet the Assembly Speaker to convey their decision to resign. While 10 of them arrived from Mumbai, one disgruntled Congress MLA Munirathna joined them at the Vidhana Soudha and went inside the Speakers chamber along with them. Of the 16 MLAs who had resigned, 11 reached the speaker K R Ramesh Kumars office to tender their resignation afresh. Besides Munirathna, the other MLAs who entered Speakers office were Byrathi Basavaraj, Ramesh Jarkiholi, S T Somashekhar, B C Patil, K Gopalaiah, Shivaram Hebbar, Narayana Gowda, A H Vishwanath, Prathap Gouda Patil and Mahesh Kumathalli. The top court earlier asked the Speaker to decide "forthwith" on Thursday about the resignation of 10 rebel Congress-JD(S) coalition MLAs, allowing them to meet him at 6 pm. A Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said the decision taken by the Speaker has to be intimated on Friday when the court takes up the matter again. The resignation of 16  MLAs (13 from Congress and three from JDS) has pushed the coalition government to the brink of collapse. Two independent MLAs have also withdrawn support to the coalition government.