K'taka crisis: Cong steps up efforts to persuade MLA to withdraw resignation from assembly

Bengaluru, July 14 (PTI): The Congress Sunday intensified efforts to persuade another rebel MLA Ramalinga Reddy to withdraw his resignation from the Karnataka assembly, in a desperate bid to save the Congress-JD(S) government that is teetering in the wake of resignation of its legislators. Congress state working president Eshwar Khandre and senior leader H K Patil had a meeting with BTM Layout MLA Ramalinga Reddy at his residence for about two hours. The meeting with Reddy came on a day rebel Congress MLA M T B Nagaraj headed to Mumbai after talks on Saturday to mollify him appeared to have failed. However, a state Congress leader expressed confidence that he has gone to bring back another disgruntled lawmaker. Leaders of the Congress-JD(S) coalition held negotiations with Hoskote MLA Nagaraj on Saturday to woo him back to save the 13-month old H D Kumaraswamy-led government that is on the brink of collapse. Speaking to reporters after meeting Reddy, Khandre exuded confidence that the BTM Layout legislator would withdraw his resignation. "Ramalinga Reddy is a senior MLA who won the assembly elections multiple times and became minister. His contribution to the party is very significant and we need him. "We have requested him to stay back in the party and also to withdraw his resignation," Khandre told reporters. Patil echoed the same sentiments and underlined that the party was passing through a difficult phase. "The party is in trouble. Congress is of the opinion that the coalition government should survive and serve the people.He (Reddy) is our leader who has done a lot for the party. "Today his presence is required the most. Against this backdrop we have asked him to withdraw his resignation," he told reporters. Reddy said he will not speak on the matter till he appears before the Karnataka assembly Speaker on Monday. On Saturday, a team of BJP leaders led by Yelahanka MLA S R Vishwanath and Padmanabha Reddy had called on him at his residence. "Ramalinga Reddy has neither gone to Mumbai nor given any statement that can be considered as anti-party activity. It is incumbent upon us to persuade him. We are sure he won't leave the party," Congress spokesperson Subhash Agarwal. The coalition government is on a sticky wicket with 16 MLAs--13 from the Congress and three from the JD(S) -- resigning from the assembly. Besides, two independent legislators, who were made ministers recently to provide stability, have quit the cabinet. The independents -- H Nagesh and R Shankar have also withdrawn support to the coalition government and are now supporting the BJP. The ruling coalition's strength in the House is 116 (Congress 78, JD(S) 37 and BSP one), besides the speaker. With the support of the two independents, the opposition BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House. If the resignations of the 16 MLAs are accepted, the ruling coalition's tally will be reduced to 100. The Speaker has a vote too. Karnataka BJP asks Kumaraswamy to resign immediately Asserting that the coalition government in Karnataka had lost majority, the state BJP on Sunday demanded the Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy immediately resign or seek a trust vote on Monday itself. "I demand that the Chief Minister, if he is honest and cares for the democratic system, he should immediately resign or should move a motion seeking for trust vote on Monday itself," state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, sixteen MLAs of JD(S) and Congress have resigned, and also two independents have withdrawn support to the government, and extended it to the BJP. "You (Kumaraswamy) don't have majority. So let them (coalition) ask for confidence vote or reign immediately. Tomorrow in the Business Advisory Committee meeting I will advise same thing to Kumaraswamy and discuss," he added. In a surprise move amid the existential crisis faced by his government, Kumaraswamy had on Friday announced in the state Assembly that he has voluntarily decided to seek a trust vote to end the "confusion" caused by resignations of rebel MLAs and requested the Speaker to fix time for the same. According to sources, at the Business Advisory Committee meeting on Friday Kumaraswamy had proposed that the trust vote be held on Wednesday. However, no decision was taken as the principal opposition BJP did not attend the meeting. Yeddyurappa's statement came, even as efforts by coalition leaders to mollify rebel Congress MLA M T B Nagaraj seemed to have failed as he has flown to Mumbai Sunday. Leaders of the Congress-JD(S) coalition had held negotiations with Nagaraj on Saturday in a bid to woo him back to save the H D Kumaraswamy-led government that is on the brink of collapse. Pointing out that the Chief Minister has said that without the support of MLAs he will not continue and will seek a trust vote, Yeddyurappa said, despite all their efforts Congress rebel MLAs M T B Nagaraj and K Sudhakar have said they will not withdraw their resignations and have gone (to Mumbai). He also stated that 15 MLAs have approached the Supreme Court and the court may also come to a decision on Tuesday. Five rebel Congress MLAs had moved to the Supreme Court on Saturday against the Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar for not accepting their resignations. MLAs Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, N Nagaraj (MTB), Munirathna and Roshan Baig have sought impleadment in the already pending application filed by the 10 other rebel MLAs on which hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. The coalition government, which has been shaky since it came into being last year after a post-poll arrangement in the wake of a hung verdict, is facing a serious crisis now with 16 MLAs--13 of the Congress and three of the JD(S)-- resigning their assembly membership. Besides, two Independent legislators, who were made ministers recently to provide stability to the government, have quit the ministry and withdrawn support. The ruling coalition's total strength is 116 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37 and BSP-1), besides the Speaker. With the support of the two independents, the BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House, where the half-way mark is 113. If the resignations of the 16 MLAs are accepted, the coalition's tally will be reduced to 100.