Karnataka crisis: Rebels derail coalition plan; BJP for vote today

TNN
July 15, 2019

Bengaluru, Jul 15: Two days after CM HD Kumaraswamydeclared in the assembly that he would seek a trust vote, the JD(S)- Congress combine found itself on the backfoot once again on Sunday as a rebel MLA flew off to Mumbai after showing signs of coming around in marathon meetings with the CM and senior Congress leaders.

Smelling blood, opposition BJP insisted that the Kumaraswamy government prove its majority in the assembly on Monday or step down.

Congress leaders, led by water resources minister DK Shivakumar, had virtually ambushed housing minister and rebel MLA MTB Nagaraj at his home at 2.30am on Saturday, followed by nearly 15 hours of successive meetings with chief minister Kumaraswamy, Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah and others. Nagaraj had said that he would remain in Congress but hours later, the MLA said there was “no question of going back” and boarded a special flight to join the other rebels in Mumbai.

Having lost another flight risk, Congress intensified efforts to pacify disgruntled MLA and former minister R Ramalinga Reddy amid speculation that his daughter Sowmya and another Congress MLA, Anjali Nimbalkar, were set to resign, putting paid to the ruling partners’ hopes of saving the government. Around noon, working president of the state Congress, Eshwar Khandre, and senior leader HK Patil landed up at Reddy’s residence. Later in the day, Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Mallikarjun Kharge, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal too called on him.

Reddy, however, refused to comment after the meetings, only saying he would not speak politics until July 15, the day he has been asked by the speaker to appear before him on his resignation as MLA.

Among other calls by the ruling allies was a hospital visit by Shivakumar and CM Kumaraswamy.

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News Network
May 12,2020

Bengaluru, May 12: Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had promised to extend all co-operation for the safe and early return of the Karnataka ex-pats, living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), here on Tuesday.

He was speaking to the Karnataka ex-pats living in UAE, who had pleaded the chief minister to make arrangements for their return to the state.

Those who had spoken to the Chief Minister had informed that there is a large number of people, landed into a great difficulty ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and eager to return to their home state, Karnataka.

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News Network
July 31,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 31: BJP leader CP Yogeshwar has slammed Yediyurappa supporters and said the JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy is supporting BJP.

Speaking to the reporters, Yogeshwar said, "Congress president DK Shivakumar and Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former CM HD Kumaraswamy, both are Yediyurappa supporters."

"His words seem to support the BJP. All that Kumaraswamy had said, during our government's rule, are happening including the officers they mentioned are being transferred. He has come forward to support BJP from the back door," Yogeshwar.

While reacting to allegations made by CP Yogeshwar, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar has said that earlier Yogeshwar requested for State Legislative Council (MLC) member ticket and now such people are blaming me without any evidence. This shows his dishonesty to his party and the kind of person he is." 

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News Network
March 9,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 9: The political crisis faced by Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh appears to have accentuated with 13 party MLAs and six ministers reported to be in Bengaluru.

The developments have come amid factional differences in the party unit and at a time the party has to finalise its Rajya Sabha candidates from the state.

Sources said the number of Congress MLAs who were in Bengaluru had gone up to 19 and one more MLA expected to reach Bengaluru by Monday night. They said the MLAs have come in batches and include six ministers from Madhya Pradesh.

The developments came on a day state chief Chief Minister Kamal Nath met party chief Sonia Gandhi and discussed the political situation in the state.

The sources said that MLAs are likely to be shifted to a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

According to the sources, BJP Mahadevpura MLA Arvind Limbavali has been in touch with the Congress MLAs. They said 16 MLAs were brought at HAL airport Bengaluru by a special flight and were staying in a hotel at present.

The session of Madhya Pradesh assembly will begin on March 16 and the BJP may bring no-confidence motion against the Kamal Nath government.

Kamal Nath had said after his meeting with Gandhi that Congress MLAs who were reportedly missing have returned and had informed him that they were on 'tirth yatra'.

"Congress MLAs came back and said to me that they went on' tirth yatra (pilgrimage)".

The Congress has accused the BJP of trying to topple the party government. Party leader Digvijaya Singh had earlier alleged that BJP leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Narottam Mishra were offering bribes of Rs 25-35 crore to Congress MLAs in order to bring down the Congress government in the state. The BJP had refuted the allegations.

In 2018 assembly elections, Congress won 114 seats in the 230-member Assembly and formed the government with the support of four Independent MLAs and two BSP MLAs and a legislator from the Samajwadi Party (SP). The BJP had secured 109 seats in the state assembly.

Last week,Madhya Pradesh Labour Minister Mahendra Singh Sisodia had warned that the state government will face a crisis if it "ignores or disrespects" party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Scindia had said last month that he will not hesitate to hit the roads if promises made in a manifesto by Kamal Nath-led government in Madhya Pradesh were not fulfilled.

Kamal Nath had responded to the remarks saying, "To utar jayein" (Let him hit the streets if he wants to).

Congress MLA Bisahulal Singh, who was "missing" for the past few days, returned to Bhopal on Sunday and said he had gone on a pilgrimage.

Independent MLA Surendra Singh said on Monday that he was hoping to become a minister in Madhya Pradesh government soon.

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