"This type of activities (were) are going on in Karnataka. Today they thought that it is high time to come out of that party and resign from the legislator's post because they felt that continuing as MLA (is) not good in larger interest of the constituency and the state. So they have resigned," he said.
The BJP on Saturday said it is ready to form the government in Karnataka following fresh trouble in the ruling Congress-JD(S) government with resignations of 11 MLAs from the two parties and that party leader B. S. Yeddyurappa will be the Chief Minister.
Party leader and Chemicals and Fertilizers D. V. Sadananda Gowda told reporters that the MLAs have decided to resign as they thought it was not in the interest of the people of the state and their constituency.
"This type of activities (were) are going on in Karnataka. Today they thought that it is high time to come out of that party and resign from the legislator's post because they felt that continuing as MLA (is) not good in larger interest of the constituency and the state. So they have resigned," he said.
Asked if the next government will be that of BJP, Gowda said the Governor is the supreme authority as per the constitutional mandate.
"If he calls us, certainly we are ready to form the government as we are the single largest party. We have got 105 people with us," he said.
1. Yeddyurappa slams DK Shivakumar
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Meanwhile, former Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa slammed DK Shivakumar and said: “People are watching the way DK Shivakumar is behaving. He tore resignation letters of some of the MLAs inside the Speaker's office, who had gone to resign, it is condemnable.”
Gowda denied BJP had any role in the resignations when asked if it was part of "Operation Kamala".
"Hundred per cent not. The media has shown the MLAs who went to meet Speaker,. No BJP leader or MLAs were behind them. They voluntarily went to the Speaker and submitted their resignation. So it shows there is no interference by the BJP at any point as far as resignations are concerned," he said.
Asked about BJP's chief ministerial candidate, he said Yeddyurappa has been declared as chief ministerial candidate. "He will be chief minister if a new government is formed," Gowda said.
The dissidence-plagued Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka appeared to have fallen into a minority with 11 of the MLAs belonging to the two parties quitting the Assembly as the crisis deepened for the ruling dispensation.
On day of high drama, eight of the coalition MLAs went to Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Vajubhai Vala, while three of the Congress MLAs have gone to the residence of the Energy Minister D K Shivkumar, who has mounted efforts to wean away the dissidents and persuade them to withdraw their resignations.
2. Cong caught sleeping
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Caught off guard, Karnataka Congress in charge, K C Venugopal, rushed to Bengaluru on Saturday after eight Congress and three Janata Dal Secular (JDS) MLAs resigned from from the Assembly, bringing the coalition government into a minority.
Meanwhile former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been tasked to contact the dissidents in the party. According to sources, D K Shivakumar has also moutned efforts to convince the MLAs to come back.remain in the party fold.
The Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka appeared to have gone into a minority with 11 of the MLAs belonging to the two parties quitting the Assembly as the crisis deepened for the ruling dispensation.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who belongs to the JD(S), is away in the US and is expected to fly back here on Sunday.
With today's developments, the strength of the ruling coalition in Karnataka has come down to 105, which is eight short of the half-way mark of 113 for a majority.
3. Speaker speaks up
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Dealing another blow to the wobbly Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka led by H D Kumaraswamy, 11 legislators of the ruling alliance submitted their resignation at the Speaker's office Saturday.
Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar was not in his office when the legislators went there to submit their resignation, sources said.
Later, Kumar told reporters here that 11 legislators submitted their resignation at his office.
"...11 of them have submitted resignation letters. I told officials to take the letters and issue acknowledgement. Tomorrow the office will be closed...Monday I have prior engagement, so on Tuesday I will go to office and take further action, in accordance with rules," he said.
To a question on the future of the government, Kumar said, "Let's wait and see, I have nothing to do with it." "Whether the government will fall or survive, it will be decided in the Assembly...," he added.
The MLAs who were seen at the Speaker's office include, Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Pratap Gowda Patil (Maski), Shivram Hebbar (Yellapur), Mahesh Kumathalli (Athani), B C Patil (Hirekerur), Byratibasavaraj (K R Puram), S T Soma Shekar (Yashwanthpur) and Ramalinga reddy (BTM Layout) of the Congress.
The JD(S) MLAs are A H Vishwanath (Hunsur), who recently resigned as party's state chief, Narayana Gowda (K R Pet), and Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout).
Later, the legislators went to the Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Vajubhai Vala.
As a last bid, Congress's "trouble shooter" and Minister D K Shivakumar met the legislators and tried to convince them.
The development comes days after two Congress legislators Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi sent in their resignation to the Speaker.
Speaker Ramesh Kumar however had said, he had received only Singh's resignation, but had no information on that of Jarkiholi.
Jarkiholi, however, submitted his resignation on Saturday.
