Karnataka: JD(S), Congress look to rebels to save govt
State housing minister N. Nagaraj leaves for Mumbai on Sunday, a day after he agreed to take back his resignationKarnataka assembly speaker is yet to decide if the resignations are ‘voluntary and genuine’
BENGALURU : Karnataka’s coalition government continues to remain wobbly even as it hopes for some of the rebel legislators to return to the fold.
Housing minister and Congress party legislator N. Nagaraj flew to Mumbai on Sunday, a day after he agreed to take back his resignation. He accused chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s brother and public works department minister H.D. Revanna of interfering in his ministry. Nagaraj’s statement is contrary to the coalition’s stance that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is behind the government’s troubles.
Many say Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar’s decision to get involved in the Belagavi district affairs last September and the pushback to it may have triggered the Congress collapse.
“No matter who says what, there is no question of us taking back our resignations," S.T. Somashekar, one of the rebel MLAs said on Sunday.
At least 16 legislators from the Congress and JD(S) have resigned since 1 July. Two independents have also resigned as ministers and extended support to the BJP. Speaker Ramesh Kumar is yet to decide if the resignations are “voluntary and genuine".
However, the ruling coalition appears confident that some of the rebels will return, even after most of them told the Supreme Court that they were being threatened with disqualification to support the government.
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