Karnataka crisis LIVE updates: The BJP can win a confidence vote if at least 11 resignations are accepted.Karnataka crisis LIVE news update: As the political imbroglio continued in Karnataka, state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa Saturday said he was ready to face a no-confidence motion. His statement comes a day after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy sought a trust vote in the Assembly.
Efforts have been on to reach out to the dissident legislators as 16 MLAs of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government have resigned from the Assembly since July 1. State Housing Minister and Hoskote MLA MTB Nagaraj, one of the 16 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs who resigned from the Assembly last week, hinted that he might consider withdrawing his resignation and also said he would try to persuade others. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy today met Nagaraj at the residence of former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Meanwhile, five more rebel Karnataka Congress MLAs approached the Supreme Court today, saying that the Speaker was not accepting their resignations. The MLAs also alleged that they “are being forced to support the government on the threat of disqualification”.
If all the resignations are accepted, the coalition’s numbers in the 224-member House will fall to 101 compared to the BJP’s 105 MLAs and the support of two Independents. The BJP can win a confidence vote if at least 11 resignations are accepted.
Who is MTB Nagaraj
Nagaraj is a wealthy landholder in real-estate businessman and one of the richest MLAs in Karnataka. A member of OBC Kuruba community, he is considered a close aide of Siddaramaiah. He had earlier threatened to rebel against the coalition last year and was inducted into the state cabinet in December 2018 at the instance of Siddaramaiah. Read : Karnataka’s 16 rebel MLAs: Who they are
Negotiations are going on, Siddaramaiah spoke good things: Nagaraj
On coming out from Siddaramaiahs house, Nagaraj said, "Negotiations are going on. He (Siddaramaiah) has spoken good things." Asked whether he has changed his mind, he said: "We all are trying for it only." Later, Nagaraj returned to Siddaramaiah's residence, where chief minister H D Kumaraswamy joined the negotiations.
Kumaraswamy meets rebel MLA MTB Nagaraj
Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy meets rebel Congress MLA MTB Nagaraj at Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah's residence in Bengaluru. Congress leader Zameer Ahmed khan also present.
Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy arrives at Siddaramaiah's residence
Sources in JD(S) said Kumaraswamy is in direct talks with at least four Congress legislators, who have resigned, and is hopeful that they would withdraw their resignation, reported PTI
Rebel Karnataka MLAs head to Shirdi for visit to Saibaba temple
Fourteen rebel MLAs from Karnataka, who have been camping in Mumbai since the last week, Saturday headed to Shirdi. The rebel legislators of the Congress-JD(S) will pay obeisance to Saibaba at the temple in Shirdi in Ahmednagar district. "The MLAs left for Shirdi in a private plane. They will return later in the day," sources said.
MP CM Kamal Nath to reach Bangalore on Sunday
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath is expected to be in Bangaluru on Sunday in an effort to woo back the rebel MLAs to its fold ahead of a possible trial of strength in the Karnataka assembly, news agency ANI reported.
Karnataka monsoon session: Two Independent MLAs seek seats on Oppn side in Assembly
Two Independent MLAs, who recently withdrew support to the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka and sided with the BJP, have written to the Assembly speaker requesting him to allot them seats on the opposition side in the House. In separate letters to the speaker, both H Nagesh (Mulabagilu MLA) and R Shankar (Ranebennur MLA) stated that they had withdrawn support to the ruling coalition and requested him to make seating arrangements for them on the opposition side in the Assembly. The monsoon session of the Karnataka Assembly began on Friday and is scheduled to end on July 26.
Ready to face floor test: Yeddyurappa
A day after Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy sought a trust vote in the floor of the Assembly, BJP president BS Yeddyurappa Saturday said that they are ready to face the no-confidence motion. “We have no objection to no-confidence motion. We will wait until Monday. On Monday, we are ready to face the no-confidence Motion,” said Yeddyurappa. Read more