In a blow to the Janata Dal Secular-Congress coalition in Karnataka, three-time Congress MLA Anand Singh directly approached the Speaker and handed over his resignation. The MLA, who represents Vijayanagara constituency in Ballari district, later apprised the Governor also of his resignation.

Addressing reporters, Singh said he was against the coalition government’s move to sell 3,667 acres to JSW Steel in Ballari district.

“I have placed my demand before the government. I will take my next decision after seeing the response from the government on executing the lease-cum-sale agreement for alloting land to JSW Steel,” Singh said.

Later in the evening, another Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, representing the Gokak constituency in Belagavi district, resigned from the Assembly by submitting a handwritten letter to the Speaker’s office.

As speculations are rife that five more MLAs may follow Jarkiholi, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah has called a meeting to discuss the implications of the resignations.

With these developments in the ruling camp, the BJP has become active as it needs 15 more MLAs to dislodge the coalition government. For the last one year, the party has been struggling to get that critical mass. At present, the BJP has 105 MLAs, Congress has 79 and the JD(S) 38 in the 225-member Karnataka Assembly. A party needs 113-plus majority mark to form the government.

After Lok Sabha elections, BJP central leadership had given green signal, but the State leaders have not been able to achieve a breakthrough. Tension is building up on the State leadership as they failed to utilise the situation during Cabinet expansion a few months ago.

Now after fresh goading from party’s central leadership, the State leadership has begun to put its acts together to lure MLAs.

Opposition leader in the Assembly and BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa, while addressing reporters on the drought in the State, said “We don’t want to destabilise the government... If the government falls on its own, we will explore the possibilities of forming the new government but there is no question of fresh elections.”

This has heightened the activity within the BJP camp as Karnataka’s legislature session is to start from July 12.

Kumaraswamy plays down

However, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is on a private tour to the United States, played it down and tweeted: “... I am watching all the developments from here. BJP is day-dreaming to destabilise the government.”

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