BENGALURU: Twelve MLAs from Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress collation government in Karnataka reached Speaker Ramesh Kumar's Chamber at state Vidhan Sabha on Saturday afternoon to tender their resignation. As per latest reports, state minister DK Shivakumar has managed to stop four MLAs from resigning.
The legislators present at the Speaker's Chamber are Congress' Pratapgowda Patil, Shivaram Hebbar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumati Halli, Narayan Gowda, Narayan Gowda, Ramalinga Reddy, Sowmya Reddy, Byrathi Suresh and Munirathna, and JD-S' Gopalaiah and H Vishwanath.
"I am resigning," Ramalinga Reddy confirmed to Zee News.
In the 225-member Karnataka Assembly, the BJP has 105 seats, Congress 78 seats and JD(S) 37 seats. The BSP and the KPJ party have one seat each. There is also an independent and one Speaker.
If the 12 MLAs resign, the Congress-JD(S) strength in the house will come down to 103, while the halfway mark is 108.
State Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is currently on a foreign tour and will arrive in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Speaking to media outside the Speaker's office, Ramalinga Reddy added, "I have come to submit my resignation to speaker. I don't know about my daughter(Congress MLA Sowmya Reddy), she is an independent woman. I am not going to blame anyone in the party or the high command. I somewhere feel I was being neglected over some issues. That is why I have taken this decision," reported news agency ANI.
"Nobody will resign. I have come to meet them,"said state water resources minister DK Shivkumar, who also reached Vidhan Sabha in an effort to stop the mass resignations.
Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Shivakumar also have reportedly called for an emergency meeting of Bengaluru Congress MLAs and corporators.
Speaking on the development, BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao said, "Congress-JD(S) coalition has been rejected by people of Karnataka. Despite their coalition in Lok Sabha polls, BJP won a massive mandate. It clearly shows the mood of people. MLAs certainly seem to be facing brunt of public anger against coalition."
