4 rebel Karnataka Congress MLAs 'almost certain' to join BJP

BENGALURU: The crisis in Karnataka Congress continued on Saturday as the four MLAs who were absent at the CLP meeting on Friday continued to remain elusive. Sources said the quartet is "almost certain" to join hands with BJP.

Congress will issue show-cause notices to MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumatalli under the anti-defection law which sets the provisions for disqualification of elected members. Congress sources said there was "circumstantial evidence" to prove that both had defied the party's diktat to attend the CLP meeting. Regarding the other MLAs who were absent - Umesh Jadhav and B Nagendra - the party has decided to go slow.

However, Jadhav might still go to BJP as the party had identified him as the Lok Sabha candidate from Kalaburagi to take on Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge. His letter expressing his inability to attend the CLP meeting on Friday was on technical grounds.

With no end to the crisis in sight, state minister D K Shivakumar said senior Congressmen in the cabinet, including himself, were ready to resign from their ministerial berths in the coalition if it meant good for the party. He said Congress has discussed the option of senior ministers offering to resign if it could quell dissidence.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs returned to Bengaluru on Saturday after a nearly week-long stay at a five-star hotel near Gurgaon. The Congress members, who have been staying at a resort in Karnataka, are expected to leave on Sunday evening or Monday, sources said.

Citing drought in some parts of the state, Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa asked the MLAs staying at the NCR hotel to leave for their constituencies.

Congress sources said a similar diktat will be issued after AICC general secretary and Karnataka in charge KC Venugopal's meeting with the MLAs at the Eagleton Golf resort on Sunday.