Karnataka political crisis LIVE Updates: State Minister D K Shivakumar has said that except one or two, all the MLAs are in touch with the Congress party state leadership and exuded confidence that they are going to attend Congress Legislative Party meeting on January 18. “You’ll know the strength of the government, not even a single MLA is going to resign,” he said.
Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy accused the Opposition BJP of creating “nuisance” to destablise the government. At the same time, the JDS leader expressed confidence that the current crisis would fizzle out soon.
The Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka appears to have plunged into yet another political crisis. It began after two independent MLAs withdrew their support from the alliance citing trouble in the governance due to internal conflict between the two partners — Congress and JD(S).
A Times Now report suggests that as many as eight Congress legislators are ready to quit and may join the saffron party.
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Karnataka political crisis LIVE Updates
In the 224-member House, a party needs to reach 113-mark to form the government. In the last assembly polls, the BJP had emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats and the Congress was at second with 80 seats. The Congress extended its support to JD(S) which came at third with just 37 seats, thereby forming the government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday claimed that the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka has lost majority. The party further stated that the ruling coalition is on the verge of "collapse" due to its "internal contradictions". BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao also accused the ruling coalition of trying to poach the state's BJP MLAs, who have been staying in a resort near the national capital, and said its "desperate attempt" to shore up its decreasing numbers will come to a nought.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday alleged that the BJP has a bigger plan behind the its moves "to topple" the coalition government in the state as it wants to show that any grand alliance against it at the centre will meet the same fate.
Karnataka BJP on Wednesday after being accused by the Congress and JD(S) of trying to destablise their government claimed that the ruling coalition was hiding its inability to keep its house in order by "unnecessarily" targeting it and their "unnatural"alliance was responsible for the ongoing political turmoil.
Currently, the saffron party has the support of 106 MLAs (BJP 104 and independent 2) and the Congress-JD(S) alliance has 117 legislators on their side. A Times Now report suggests that as many as eight Congress legislators are ready to quit. If that happens, Congress-JD(S) alliance will be in some serious trouble.
BJP leader in Karnataka Dr Vaman Acharya says if the Congress-JD(S) government collapses, the BJP will form the government in the state. "After going from Karnataka, some of Congress MLAs contacted our leader CN Ashwathnarayan. That's why he went to Mumbai and met them. If this govt collapses as per people's mandate, we will form government."
Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar has exuded confidence that barring one or two MLAs, all Congress MLAs will attend the Congress Legislative Party meeting on January 18. "Except one or two, all the MLAs are in touch with us, they are going to attend Congress Legislative Party meeting. You'll know the strength of the government, not even a single MLA is going to resign," he said.
Youth Congress workers protest outside BJP office in Bengaluru over alleged attempts by BJP to poach Congress MLAs. Earlier in the day, Congress workers held a protest outside the hotel in Gurugram where Karnataka BJP MLAs were staying.
Karnataka CM H D Kumaraswamy has accused the Opposition BJP of creating "nuisance" to destablise the government even though he expressed confidence that the current crisis would fizzle out soon. Kumaraswamy also dismissed reports of meeting PM Narendra Modi and the likely resignation of four Congress ministers from the state cabinet.
Refuting the claims about political crisis for Congress-JD(S) government in the state, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said the coalition government in Karnataka is "stable and strong" as he accused the BJP of trying to destabilise it. The Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka is stable and strong and will continue to be so, he said.
The Congress has slammed BJP for its brazen attempt to destabilise the Congress-JDS coalition government in Karnataka. "The entire confusion has been created by the BJP. Was that really required? They did it brazenly throwing morality and ethics to the wind. It is shameful and disgusting," Karnataka Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao said.
On being asked if BJP has been trying to destabilise 'mahagathbandhan', Karnataka deputy CM said: "I see a bigger scheme. Our oath was attended by most non-BJP friends & was a kind of mahagathbandhan. If Congress-JDS are unsuccessful here, message will be that bigger alliance will fail. Maybe they were trying that."
Speaking on the ongoing political crisis, Karnataka Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said that Who is scared today? "Had we been scared, it would've been us in the resort sitting with our MLAs. But it is BJP who is sitting with their MLAs in a resort. Yes, 2-3 MLAs are in Mumbai. All of them are coming back and they'll return by tomorrow," the minister said.
BJP Karnataka in-charge P Muralidhar Rao has said the JD(S)-Congress government cannot survive its full five-year term and will fall on its own due to internal conflicts. He said that the problem is within the Congress and its leader DK Shivakumar wants to lead the government. “The problem is internal rivalry and conflicts of personal ambitions within the alliance, especially within the Congress. The problem of DK Shivakumar, who aspires to lead the government, has now become a problem of the Congress. And, this has been going for the last six months,” Rao told PTI
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday said that things were "under control" and there was no reason for worry. Two independent MLAs withdre support from Congress-JD(S) alliance and many were fearing that it may lead to another round political crisis in Karnataka. Both the parties have accused each other of indulging in horse trading.
Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah today attacked the prime minister over deepening crisis in Karnataka. In a tweet, he said: "Mr. Saaf Niyat @narendramodi, Is allowing your disgraceful @BJP4Karnataka leaders to destabilize govt a 'Saaf Niyat' towards democracy? Your PR slogans does not hide your actual 'Niyat' & your 'Sahi Vikas' should go beyond developing Resorts. First show your Niyat to people!!"
Independent H Nagesh and R Shankar withdrew their support on Tuesday. Shankar was dropped from the Ministry during the recent cabinet reshuffle. Nagesh was upset over not being included in the cabinet. Speaking to ANI, Nagesh said: "My support to the coalition government was to provide a good and a stable government which utterly failed. There is no understanding among the coalition partners. So, I have decided to go with the BJP to install a stable government."
Congress MP KH Muniyappa on Wednesday said that second generation Congressmen who won the election are secured. "Rahul Gandhi and KC Venugopal are aware of your grievances, you will be given chance in next cabinet expansion in Karnataka. I invite all who left the fold to come back and not worry," he said.
In the 224-member House, a party needs to reach 113-mark to form the government. Currently, the saffron party has the support of 106 MLAs (BJP 104 and independent 2) and the Congress-JD(S) alliance has 117 legislators on their side. A Times Now report suggests that as many as eight Congress legislators are ready to quit. If that happens, Congress-JD(S) alliance will be in some serious trouble.
BJP General Secretary Muralidhar Rao has said that the withdrawal of support by two independent MLAs is the result of internal bickerings among Congress leaders. "Particularly, D K Shivakumar is a problem. He basically is precipitating the problem, but levelling charges against the BJP," he told PTI. Rao said Shivakumar was the main culprit for the fresh political turbulence as he wanted to project himself as the 'true loyal Congress leader.'
In a tweet, BJP National General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao said: "Congress leadership has failed in Karnataka in providing good governance and also coherent government. Now they are trying to shift the blame on BJP. BJP is not ready to play the game, blame is entirely on Congress!"
The Congress Youth workers protest outside a resort in Haryana where the BJP's MLAs have been camping in an effort to thwart any poaching attempt by the JD(S)-Congress ruling coalition. The protesters alleged that the BJP was disrespecting the Constitution and murdering democracy in the country. PTI reports that the BJP's state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa is likely to hold a meeting with the party legislators and discuss the prevailing situation in the state.
Karnataka Congress In-charge KC Venugopal said that he was in touch with all Congress MLAs. "This drama is going to end in a day or a two. We are all together, there is no internal fight in Congress. This is all baseless," he told ANI.