In a blow for the JD(S) led Congress Karnataka government, two Independent MLAs – H Nagesh and R Shankar on Tuesday announced to withdraw their support from Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka. Independent MLA, R Shankar said as quoted by ANI, “Today is Makar Sankranti, on this day we want a change in the govt. The govt should be efficient, so I am withdrawing my support (to the Karnataka govt) today.”
2 Independent MLAs, H Nagesh and R Shankar, withdraw their support from Karnataka govt. pic.twitter.com/C34u3BNFOb
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2019
Independent MLA, R Shankar: Today is Makar Sankranti, on this day we want a change in the govt. The govt should be efficient, so I am withdrawing my support (to the Karnataka govt) today. pic.twitter.com/LscHTp6gJZ
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2019
While Other Independent Lawmaker H Nagesh as quoted by the agency said, “My support to coalition government was to provide a good and stable government which utterly failed. There’s no understanding among coalition partners. So, I decided to go with BJP to install stable govt & see that govt performs better than the coalition”.
H Nagesh, Independent MLA :My support to coalition govt was to provide good&stable govt which utterly failed. There's is no understanding among coalition partners. So, I decided to go with BJP to install stable govt & see that govt performs better than the coalition. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/hcMnaXaHZd
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2019
Reacting on the Development, Deputy Chief Minister G Parmeshwara said slammed the BJP government and said, “We have been saying that BJP is luring our MLAs through money and power but their attempts to destabilize the govt will fail. Our govt is stable”, he was quoted as saying by ANI.
G Parameshwara, Deputy Karnataka CM on two independent MLAs withdrawing their support: We have been saying that BJP is luring our MLAs through money and power but their attempts to destabilise the govt will fail. Our govt is stable. pic.twitter.com/HMZPS9iKN1
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2019
It is interesting to note that less than 100 days remain for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and it seems power struggles have already begun. The fresh crisis in the State had begun on Sunday when State Water Resource Minister DK Shivakumar had said the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ to topple the state’s coalition government was on and alleged that three Congress MLAs were camping at a hotel in Mumbai in the “company of some BJP leaders”.
However, Both the ruling Congress- JD(S) and BJP have alleged each other of ‘Horse-trading’ despite CM HD Kumaraswamy said that his government is under no threat from saffron party.
BJP has already shifted all 104 Lawmakers to a luxurious resort in Gurguram alleging that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy was trying to split its ranks. “The Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) wants to break BJP lawmakers. We are united. We will stay in Delhi for one or two days,” said BJP leader and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, denying the Congress’ counter-allegations that the opposition party is the one trying to form an “alternative government”
The Congress-JD(S) together has 117 MLAs in Karnataka Assembly with Congress 80 and the JDS 37, while BJP has 104in the 224-member Assembly. The halfway mark is 113.