The wobbly coalition government in Karnataka suffered a jolt Monday after Congress MLA Anand Singh announced his resignation from the assembly over certain demands.
Anand Singh (L); Ramesh Jarkiholi (R)
Bangalore:
Unconfirmed reports said another Congress MLA -- Ramesh Jarkiholi -- too has resigned but he not was available for comments even as the Assembly Secretariat said it had not received his letter in person, as was required under rules.
Singh said he decided to resign over his demands, including creation of a separate Vijayangar district and cancellation of the nod for sale of 3,667 acres of land to JSW Steel in mine-rich Ballari district.
However, he appeared to have not shut the doors fully, saying he would "wait for answers" (from the government to his demands) when asked if he would withdraw the resignation.
Singh, who represents Vijayanagar assembly constituency, also outrightly rejected suggestions that he was succumbing to Operation Lotus, a strategy adopted by the BJP in 2008 to shore up its numbers in the assembly by making opposition MLAs resign and seek re-election on the saffron party ticket.
Amid repeated charges by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy that it was trying to destabilise the JDS-Congress government, the BJP recently said it was not making any such attempts.
Jarkhiholi, who has been hobnobbing with the BJP for some time now, in a letter addressed to the assembly Speaker has said he was resigning voluntarily.
A former minister, he had earlier threatened that he along with other MLAs would soon resign enmasse from Congress.
Earlier, there was some confusion on Singh's resignation as Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar said he had not got any communication from the MLA, who insisted he has quit.
However, later a statement from the Speaker's office confirmed receipt of the resignation letter.
Noting that the letter was received at 2 pm, the statement said necessary action would be taken "in accordance with rules laid down in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business" of the assembly.
Singh later met Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan and handed over a copy of his resignation letter, which the MLA also shared with the media later.
"It is true that I have submitted my resignation," he told reporters emerging from the Raj Bhavan.
When asked for the reasons behind his decision, the MLA said there were many, but the primary one was his opposition to sale of 3,667 acres of land to JSW Steel and his demand for formation of Vijayanagar as a district.
He made it clear that he was not against the government but only opposed the decision taken by it.
I am not against the industry.Industry must grow, jobs should be generated and youth should get employment. If I don't oppose the injustice to my district then it is unbecoming of my being a public representative," the MLA said.
Appealing to the government not to execute the sale deed, the MLA insisted that the cabinet sub-committee formed to have a re-look into the decision must take a stand to set an example for the entire country.
Asked whether he would withdraw his resignation, Singh said, Lets wait for the answers. I will not say today whether I will withdraw my resignation or go ahead with my decision."
JD(S) leader and Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, who is in the US for the foundation laying ceremony of a temple, tweeted that he was aware of the developments taking place in the state.
"The foundation-laying of Kalabhairaveshwara Temple is going on at New Jersey under the aegis of Swamiji.I am watching all the developments from here. BJP is day dreaming to destabilise the government," Kumaraswamy tweeted.
Rejecting Kumaraswamy's charge, BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa said the coalition government would collapse on its own and his party will not be responsible for it.
He said BJP would explore Constitutional provisions to form a new government in the event of fall of the coalition regime.
At the height of dissidence in the Congress last year, Singh had disappeared and was incommunicado. However, he surfaced and showed his allegiance to the party.
Earlier in January, he had come to blows with another Congress MLA JN Ganesh at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Ganesh had accused him of threatening to finish him politically.
A badly injured Singh was later admitted to hospital.
Speculations are rife that at least six more MLAs from Congress would also rebel against their party.
Congress MLA's resignation authenticates unease in Karnataka ruling coalition: Yeddyurappa
Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa on Monday said Vijayanagara Congress MLA Anand Singh's resignation authenticates large-scale unease in the ruling coalition and the government will collapse under its own weight, after which his party will explore the constitutional provisions to form the new government.
Ruling out the possibility of fresh polls, the former chief minister said those in the BJP were not "sanyasis" (seers), and the future of the government is based on the decision taken by over 20 disgruntled Congress-JD(S) legislators.
"About the political developments, I am yet to know about the resignation of Anand Singh. The only thing is that his resignation has authenticated me saying that there is large-scale unease in Congress. We are not bothered about the resignations, our first concern is the people and drought," he said.
"We will keep watching the situation. Anything may happen. If the government collapses, we are not responsible. It will collapse under its own weight," he told reporters.
"Only after the collapse of this government we can explore the constitutional provisions to form the new government. There is no question of elections. We are a strong force of 105 members and we have every right to make a claim for forming the government if the present one collapses," he added.
Congress MLA Anand Singh Monday announced his resignation, opposing the state government's decision to sell 3,667 acres to JSW Steel at Ballari, his home district.
He had also demanded that Vijayanagara be made a district.
Speculations are rife that Singh, who was a minister in the BJP government, may go back to the saffron party's fold.
He joined the Congress ahead of the May 2018 assembly polls.
Though there were speculations earlier about him going back to the BJP, Singh had denied it and expressed his loyalty to the Congress and the coalition government.
Stating that he has heard about Singh's resignation only through the media, Yeddyurappa in response to a question about more legislators resigning said, "Wait and watch."
Ruling out any attempts by the BJP to pull down the government or luring MLAs, he said let us see if legislators resign on their own.
A rout in the recent Lok Sabha polls and dissidence within the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka has led to fears of an onslaught by the BJP to destabilise the state government, a claim denied by the saffron party.
While the Congress and JD(S) managed to win only one seat each, the BJP in its best ever performance had won 25 out of 27 seats it had contested.
An independent candidate supported by the saffron party-Sumalatha Ambareesh- won in Mandya.
Responding to a question as to whether he was confident about the collapse of this government with resignation of MLAs, Yeddyurappa said, "I am only aware that over 20 Congress-JD(S) MLAs are disgruntled. I have been saying this for last two months. The future of this government is based on what decision they take."
Asked whether the BJP was ready to form the government or will it go for polls, he said, "Are we sanyasis? There is no question about going for fresh elections. If MLAs resign and if we get an opportunity to form the government, we will form the government and give good administration."
With Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy recently inducting two independents into the ministry in an apparent move to give stability to his 13-month-old wobbly government, the coalition strength in the 224-member assembly stands at 118 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37, BSP-1 and Independents-2), besides the Speaker.
The BJP has 105 MLAs.