Deve Gowda Steps In As Cong, JD(S) MLAs Quit

Bengaluru: Former prime minister and JD(S) veteran H.D. Deve Gowda was meeting leaders of the Congress and his own party since Sunday morning to save their government after a tumultuous Saturday when 11 legislators from Karnataka’s ruling coalition resigned.

NDTV reports that the Congress’s state in charge, K.C. Venugopal, too, has come to Bengaluru and met state party leaders at a private hotel. Deve Gowda was holding fort ahead of the return of his son, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy from a private visit to the United States.

Congress’s troubleshooter D.K. Shivakumar, who tore up the resignation letters of the legislators to stop them from quitting, also went across to meet Deve Gowda.

Former Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah insisted that all is well. “There is no threat to the coalition government. It is safe,” he said.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the party is in still in touch with the rebels. “We will get a clear picture on July 12,” he said. The assembly session starts that day.

Of the 11 legislators who quit on Saturday, three were from the JDS, including former state president, H. Vishwanath, who stepped down from that post recently. Two Congress MLAs had resigned on Monday – bringing the total of coalition legislators who had resigned to 13.

Vishwanath had mentioned 14 legislators after the legislators met the governor on submitting their resignations at the Speaker’s office. The resignations, even of those who quit on Monday, have not been formally accepted yet. Speaker Ramesh Kumar said he would look at the latest batch of resignations only after he returns to work on Tuesday.

Kharge also said that rumours about plans to make him the next chief minister were just that – rumours. “The BJP is trying to sabotage non-BJP governments in many states. I am frightened about what is happening to democracy in this country. The BJP arranges a special flight to take the MLAs to Mumbai. What is happening is not right,” he said.

The BJP continues to deny any involvement – even though the plane that took the dissidents to Mumbai was said to be arranged by them and despite the visits of BJP leaders to the hotel in Mumbai where the rebels are staying.

State BJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa said: “We are no way related to what is happening.”