At the Janata Dal (S) Legislature Party meeting on Tuesday, the leaders are learnt to have agreed to the proposal of seniors to give up the two vacant ministerial berths with the party to accommodate two Independent MLAs in order to protect the coalition government.
Though some legislators suggested that the party should give up one berth and keep the other one vacant, to be filled by its own MLA, they were convinced of the need to “sacrifice” the berths in order to tide over the crisis situation. Accommodating two Independent MLAs — R. Shankar and H. Nagesh — has been proposed to prevent them from drifting to the BJP, thereby putting the government in jeopardy. Coordination committee chief Siddaramaiah had held a meeting with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on this
The resignation of party chief A.H. Vishwanath was also discussed at the meeting, and attempts made to persuade him to reconsider his decision failed as the Hunsur MLA was firm about it.