Retaining their respective flocks ranked high on the agenda of the Congress-JD(S) combine as well as the BJP on Saturday as the two sides gear up for a showdown in the Assembly with a trust vote, which is likely after the Supreme Court on Tuesday takes a call on the petitions of the rebel MLAs of the ruling coalition for directions to Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to accept their resignations.
A day after Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy sprang a surprise by expressing his intent to undertake the trust vote, the Congress’ intensified efforts to woo its rebel MLAs back into its fold yielded some results with one of the rebels announcing his decision to withdraw his resignation. But not before laying down a condition that he would do so only if another rebel Sudhakar too withdraws.
“Wherever Sudhakar is, I will contact him by Sunday afternoon and convince him. We had decided that we would be together in staying or leaving. Now I’ve to convince him to stay. If he doesn’t come back, what will I do alone?” Nagaraj said after meeting Congress leader Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy.
But five more legislators from the Congress camp, who have already resigned, moved the Supreme Court alleging the Speaker was not accepting their resignations. They also alleged they were being threatened with disqualification if they didn’t support the ruling coalition.
The five MLAs namely Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, N Nagaraj, Munirathna and Roshan Baig sought impleadment in the already pending application filed by the 10 other rebel MLAs on which the hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. Hearing their plea, the Supreme Court had on Friday restrained the Speaker from taking any decision till Tuesday on the resignation and disqualification of the 10 MLAs.
Earlier in the day Nagaraj said, “Situation was such that we submitted our resignations but now DK Shivakumar and others came and requested us to withdraw resignations, I will speak to K Sudhakar and then see what is to be done. After all, I have spent decades in Congress.” Congress’ chief crisis manager in the State Shivakumar exuded confidence that the rebel MLAs would be “back home” and BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa said his party is ready for the floor test on Monday.
The political oneupmanship has led the two sides to house their legislators in plush hotels and resorts both in order to keep the flock together as also to prevent any “poaching” attempts by the other side.
The rebel MLAs staying put in Mumbai, meanwhile, utilised their day visiting Shirdi.
The Congress has also seemingly dispatched Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath to save its house in Karnataka making the scenario more interesting in the State
But to add to the coalition’s woes, two Independent MLAs, R Shankar and H Nagesh, who recently withdrew support to alliance, have written to the Assembly Speaker requesting him to allot them seats on the Opposition side in the House.