Reports of two Congress MLAs’ resignation have rocked Karnataka politics posing serious questions to an already weak coalition government in the state. This was after Congress MLA Anand Singh announced his resignation on Monday. Anand had left the BJP to join the Congress just before the assembly polls last year.
If Singh’s resignation was not enough to cause worry in the government, reports of another Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi’s resignation too emerged. However, the Assembly Secretariat said that it had not received his resignation letter in person.
Congress leader DK Shivakumar, who was instrumental in Singh leaving the BJP to join the Congress last year, said that there was no need to worry for the state’s coalition government. “I spoke to CM today and there is no threat to this government. No one is leaving and no elections will be happening. No one can dream of any government,” Shivakumar was quoted by ANI.
Karnataka assembly has 225 MLAs. The Congress had won 80 seats, while the JDS 38 in the last assembly polls. After Singh’s resignation, the Congress will be left with 79 seats and JDS 37.
Karnataka Chief Minister HK Kumaraswamy has often accused the BJP of attempting to destabilising his government through what’s known as Operation Lotus. Lotus is the election symbol of the BJP.
However, Singh, who represents Vijayanagar Assembly constituency, rejected suggestions that he was succumbing to Operation Lotus.
BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa, according to PTI, said that the coalition government would collapse on its own and his party will not be responsible for it. He said that the BJP would explore constitutional provisions to form a new government after the Congress-JDS government failed.