Eight MLAs of Congress-JDS coalition in Karnataka on Saturday met the Assembly Speaker, triggering speculation about another dent in the coalition. Eight MLAs – 5 from Congress and 3 from Janata Dal (Secular) met Assembly Speaker.
MLAs including Ramesh Jarkiholi, H Vishwanath, Pratap Gowda Patil, BC Patil, Ramalinga Reddy are among those who reached Assembly Speaker.
Speaking to media, Ramalinga Reddy confirmed that the MLA submitted his resignation to the speaker. ‘I don’t know about my daughter(Congress MLA Sowmya Reddy), she is an independent woman’, said Reddy while responding to a query about her daughter.
Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy: I have come to submit my resignation to speaker. I don't know about my daughter(Congress MLA Sowmya Reddy), she is an independent woman. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/1IvqviMfeS
— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2019
Reddy accused Congress of sidelining him. Talking to media, he said, ‘I am not going to blame anyone in the party or the high command. I somewhere feel I was being neglected over some issues. That is why I have taken this decision’.
While another MLA also hinted to resigning from the Assembly. While Leaving the Assembly Speaker Office Congress MLA BC Patil said, ‘Injustice has been done with my constituency and injustice with the people of North Karnataka’.
READ: Crisis hits Congress-JD(S) Karnataka Govt again; 2 Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Anand Singh resign
Congress MLA BC Patil on leaving from Karnataka assembly speaker office: Injustice has been done with my constituency and injustice with the people of North Karnataka #Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/fmnF36Yi9V
— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2019
In the meantime, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and State minister DK Shivakumar called an emergency meeting of Congress Bengaluru MLAs and Corporators. The meeting is slated to be held later today.
Resignation of 8 Lawmakers from Karnataka Assembly will reduce the coalition government to a minority.
Congress and JD-S Coalition government in the state is facing threats and patches since it is formed last year. The rough-patches between JD(S)-Congress came to the forefront during a run-up to the national polls in the Karnataka with leaders of both parties accusing each other.
The tussle between the coalition has benefited the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state which swept the national polls in the state bagging 25 Lok Sabha Seat. While JD(S)-Congress Coalition which is in power in the state managed to won one seat each.
Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) currently heading a coalition government with 117 MLAs, which is just 3 more than halfway mark. The Opposition BJP has 105 MLAs.
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