The wobbly coalition government in Karnataka suffered a jolt on Monday after two Congress MLAs resigned from the assembly.
The first resignation came from Congress MLA from Vijayanagar, Anand Singh who submitted his resignation to Karnataka Governor. Hours after Anand's resignation, another Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi also resigned from state assembly membership and submitted his resignation to the Speaker.
Speaking on giving his resignation, Anand Singh said, "Yes. I have resigned. Today morning, I submitted the resignation."
When told that Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar has not confirmed the resignation, Singh said, "Is it so? Then I will resign again." The speaker denied having received any resignation.
Karnataka: Congress' Anand Singh submitted his resignation to the Governor from his assembly membership today. pic.twitter.com/UdHr6JOckz
— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2019
Karnataka: Congress' Anand Singh submitted his resignation to the Governor from his assembly membership today. pic.twitter.com/UdHr6JOckz
— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2019
"I have not received any resignation. Nobody had approached me to give me any resignation," Kumar said. The MLA refused to disclose the reasons that led to his resignation.
Singh said will meet Governor Vajubhai Vala and after meeting him he would narrate the developments. 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 daydreaming to destabilise the government," Kumaraswamy tweeted.
Singh had recently held a press conference in Ballari against the sale of 3,667 acres of land to JSW Steel. Singh had stated that protecting the interest of the district was more important than the party and had hinted he would resign.
It is speculated that he would join the BJP. 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 J N Ganesh at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Ganesh had accused him of finishing him politically. A badly injured Singh was later admitted to hospital.
Reports were rife that at least six more MLAs from Congress would also rebel against their party.