Karnataka Political Crisis Updates: BJP To Stage Protests Demanding HD Kumaraswamy’s Resignation

Karnataka Congress leaders KC Venugopal, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara, MB Patil and Eshwara Khandre have held a meeting with legal advisers at an undisclosed location to discuss further action against the Congress MLAs who have resigned. ANI

The BJP Legislative Party in Karnataka will meet again on Tuesday to decide future course of action, amid the unravelling Karnataka political crisis.

“It was discussed (at Monday's BJP MLA meeting) to wait for two more days and see if this government resigns or not and then decide our course of action,” says BJP MLA Arvind Limbavali. “Today's meeting was called to discuss the issues to be taken up in the assembly session which begins on 12 July." ANI

Karnataka Congress MLA R Roshan Baig, who was suspended last month for his "anti-party" activities, on Monday said he would also resign from the state assembly shortly.

"I have made up my mind almost. I'm bycotting the party meeting tomorrow since I have been suspended," Baig said. He clarified that he has not made up his mind yet to join the BJP. PTI

The BJP on Monday said it would stage state-wide protests from Tuesday demanding Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's resignation.

"This government has lost the majority and it has no moral right to continue. The chief minister should resign immediately. We will stage demonstrations tomorrow across the state at all the district headquarters," Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa said in Bengaluru.

"If at all he has dignity, honour and self-esteem, or if he is aware of Karnataka's culture and traditions, he should immediately resign...,” said BJP MLA R Ashok. “Do not try to stick on to the chair. You do not have the numbers.” PTI

The governance in Karnataka has completely collapsed, and Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy should resign immediately and pave way for formation of a new government, BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje said on Monday.

"There is no governance at all in Karnataka now. It is going to fall anytime. We demand resignation of Kumaraswamy and an opportunity should be given to form a new government," Karandlaje told reporters outside the Parliament.

"The Karnataka government is stagnant and the governance has completely collapsed. Even officials are upset. No growth-oriented work was done in the state in the last one year," she said.

"Kumaraswamy is not at all concerned about the development of the state. When the state plunged into a crisis, the chief minister was staying in America and before that was in a resort," she said.

Karandlaje, who represents Udupi-Chickmagalur parliamentary constituency, said the BJP will stage a protest in the state on Tuesday seeking the chief minister's resignation.

She also clarified that none of the rebel MLAs were in touch with the BJP.

The Karnataka political crisis has been scripted by Congress leader Siddaramaiah and he will tell whether the state government will survive or not, said Karandlaje. "The future of Congress-JD(S) alliance is in the hands of Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy.” PTI

Congress leaders have started arriving for a meeting at Kumara Krupa Guest House in Bengaluru. "Don't worry,” Karnataka Congress in charge KC Venugopal says, when asked about the ongoing Karnataka political crisis. ANI

The JD(S) MLAs, who are still supporting the Karnataka coalition government are being moved to Golfshire, Nandi Hills Road, in Devanhall, Bengaluru from the Taj West End hotel.

Fourteen rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs, who were at the Sofitel hotel in Banda Kurla Complex in Mumbai, left for Goa on Monday evening. The are being accompanied by Mohit Bharatiya, president of the Mumbai BJP Yuva Morcha, sources said.

Maharashtra BJP MLA Prasad Lad said the 14 Karnataka MLAs left Sofitel at 5 pm. They are expected to stay at a resort in Goa, sources said. Twelve MLAs arrived in Mumbai on Saturday evening after their resignations and the two Independents had reached Mumbai on Monday. PTI

In his first comments after 13 MLAs resigned and plunged the Congress-JDS Karnataka government into a crisis, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday asserted he has "no fear" about the "political developments" and was concentrating on fulfilling his responsibilities.

Kumaraswamy, who returned to Bengaluru from his 10-day long U.S. trip Sunday night, was talking to reporters at the state secretariat after holding discussions with officials and farmers' representatives regarding revival of a sugar factory in Mandya.

"I have no fear about the political developments, I will not discuss about the political developments... I have nothing do with what the BJP people are doing and what others are doing," he said. PTI

Karnataka Minister and Independent MLA R Shankar on Monday resigned from the HD Kumaraswamy cabinet and extended support to the BJP. Shankar met state Governor Vajubhai Vala and conveyed his decision to support BJP, a communication from the Raj Bhavan said. The Ranebennur MLA, who quit as Municipal Administration Minister, later left for Mumbai.

His move came shortly after another independent MLA and Minister H Nagesh resigned from the council of ministers and withdrew support to the 13-month old Kumaraswamy-led government.

With Shankar's decision, the BJP's numbers in the 224-member assembly has gone up to 107 while the strength of the ruling coalition has come down to 116, excluding the Speaker. The half-way mark is 113. If the Speaker accepts the resignation of the 13 Karnataka MLAs, the government numbers will fall to 103.

Youth Congress workers on Monday brought two horse-drawn carriages outside a suburban hotel where several Karnataka MLAs are camping and protested against the BJP's "horse trading", which it said had led to the Karnataka political crisis.

Ten Karnataka MLAs, belonging to the JD(S) and the Congress, had flown to Mumbai late Saturday night after submitting their resignations to the Assembly Speaker.

An eleventh MLA, an Independent, resigned as a minister and also from the assembly membership Monday and joined the group at the luxurious hotel in suburban Mumbai.

The chain of events put the 13-month-old HD Kumaraswamy government in a bind as it enjoys a thin majority in the 224-member Karnataka House. PTI

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday wondered where from is Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy is getting the confidence that his government would run smoothly.

"This is some serious confidence on display here! What does he know that NO one else seems to know," Abdullah tweeted.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was referring to Kumaraswamy's assertion that the Karnataka political crisis would be resolved and his government would function smoothly. PTI

The Congress-JD(S) alliance has lost the majority in Karnataka Assembly, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy should resign, says BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa in Bengaluru, adding that all party workers will protest in the city and the state on Tuesday.

“When they lost the confidence, they have no moral right to conduct the business. That is why we are demanding that he (Kumaraswamy) resign immediately,” says Yeddyurappa, ahead of the BJP legislative party meeting in Bengaluru. ANI

Members of the BJP's legislative party in Karnataka are meeting in Bengaluru, amid the Karnataka political crisis. All Congress and JD(S) ministers of the state government have resigned, indicating that a cabinet restructuring is on the cards. ANI

Here’s a look at how many MLAs do Congress, BJP and JD(S) have in the Karnataka Assembly:

• Bharatiya Janata Party: 105
• Congress: 69
• Janata Dal (Secular): 34
• Bahujan Samaj Party: 01
• Independents: 01

Ten Congress MLAs—ST Somashekar, BC Patil, B Basavaraj, Ramalinga Reddy, Muniratna, Mahesh Kumtalli, Pratap G Patil, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Anand Singh, Shivaram Hebbar—have resigned as legislators, reducing the party’s strength in the Karnataka Assembly to 69.

Three JD(S) MLAs—H Vishwanath, Gopalaiah and Narayana Gowda—have resigned as legislators, reducing the party’s strength in the Karnataka Assembly to 34.

One independent MLA, H Nagesh, resigned on Monday.

The total strength of the Karnataka Assembly is 224 MLAs, including the speaker and the chief minister.

Karnataka Independent MLA Naresh, who tendered his resignation from the state government earlier today, has reached the Sofitel hotel in Mumbai where other rebel MLAs are staying. ANI

Karnataka Congress MLA Soumya Reddy, daughter of Congress minister Ramalinga Reddy who furnished his resignation Monday, will go to Bengaluru on Tuesday to attend the Congress Legislative Party’s meeting.

All nine JD(S) ministers in the Karnataka government have submitted their resignations to facilitate a cabinet reshuffle, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy's office said Monday. Their resignations came shortly after 21 ministers of coalition partner Congress quit the cabinet.

"All JD(S) ministers have also resigned like the 21 Congress ministers who have submitted their resignations. The Cabinet will be reshuffled at the earliest," the Chief Minister's Office said on Twitter.

The Karnataka political crisis was triggered by the resignation of 13 MLAs of the Congress-JD(S) government.

The JD(S) share in the cabinet is 12, including the chief minister, while that of the Congress is 22, including independent R Shankar who was inducted as minister last month under the party's quota.

All JD(S) minsters have resigned from the Karnataka government, like their Congress counterparts, says the Chief Minister’s Office. “The cabinet will be restructured soon,” says the CMO. ANI

“Just now, (Independent MLA) Mr Nagesh called me and said he has been hijacked by Mr Yeddyurappas' PA and BJP. By the time I reached airport the flight had left,” ANI quotes Karnataka Minister DK Shivakumar as saying.

Karnataka JD(S) MLAs have gathered at the office of state minister and party leader HD Revanna. The meeting comes amid an unravelling Karnataka political crisis, where 21 Congress ministers have resigned. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamym, however, said the situation will be resolved, and the Congress-JD(S) government will continue to work smoothly. ANI

The Karnataka political crisis will be resolved, don’t worry, ANI quotes Chief Minister HD HD Kumaraswamy as saying. “The Congress-JD(S) government will run smoothly.” ANI

Karnataka Transport Minister and JD(S) leader DC Thammanna says the party has given no direction to its ministers to resign. “If they suggest, I’ll definitely resign,” he says. ANI

In a last ditch attempt to save the 13-month-old Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, the Congress on Monday said its ministers have resigned voluntarily to enable reshuffle of the cabinet and make way for the disgruntled Karnataka MLAs.

This decision was taken at a breakfast meeting of Congress ministers at Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara's residence here which was attended by CLP leader Siddaramaiah and party general secretary KC Venugopal among others. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy held discussions with Congress leaders after the meeting. PTI

Speaking on the unravelling Karnataka political crisis, Maharashtra Congress leader Ashok Chavan says attempts were being made to destablise the Congress-run state governments, and accused the BJP of trying to "finish" the democratic system.

"What is happening in Karnataka is wrong. The BJP is trying to completely finish the democratic system in the country. This will not last long. I feel those ideologically committed to the Congress will not leave," says Chavan at Nagpur airport.

"Attempts are being made to destabilise the Congress-run state governments. It is very unfortunate. Our efforts will be to stand united and save our state governments.” PTI

“The Congress, which tore up the resignations of some of its MLAs, is now questioning the prerogative of the governor,” says BJP MP Renukacharya. “They are in delusion, they are still not able to understand that they can’t salvage the situation."

The Congress is saying the BJP is using the governor’s office politically, but when they were at the Centre, they were using the govenor’s office for themselves, says BJP leader R Ashok.

“The BJP has no culture of using the governor’s office," he says. ANI

The resignation of Congress MLAs in the Karnataka government was a voluntary decision, says party general secretary KC Venugopal. “ Leave it to the party to take decision on reshuffling cabinet,” says Venugopal. PTI

Amid the Karnataka political crisis unravelling Monday, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says that all 21 Congress ministers in the Congress-JD(S) government have resigned. The news came after Independent MLA Nagesh withdrew support to the Karnataka government. ANI

The BJP has no relation to the ongoing developments in Karnataka and has not put pressure on any MLA or MP to switch parties, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha on Monday.

Singh said the government is committed to protect the sanctity of Parliament.

"Whatever is happening currently in Karnataka, we have not relation with that," he said, replying to the issue raised by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Chowdhury alleged the BJP-ruled central government is hatching a conspiracy to break the Congress-led government in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. "This government is secretly hatching a conspiracy against the state government. They took our MLAs to a five-star hotel in Mumbai," Chowdhury said during Zero Hour.

The defence minister said the Karnataka MLA resignations was started by Congress President Rahul Gandhi. "Big leaders of Congress are resigning," he added.

Immediately after the minister's reply, Congress members started shouting and showing placards with "Save Democracy" written on them. Members did not pay heed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla's repeated request to stay calm. PTI

The Karnataka BJP welcomes Independent MLA Nagesh, who resigned as an MLA on Monday, said state party leader Shobha Karandlaje. “We will accept anybody into our party who is from non-political dispensation. We're not in touch with any rebels of the Congress and JD(S), as long as they are with their parties,” she said. ANI

Commenting on reports that athlete Anju Bobby George has joined the BJP, the party’s state media convenor S Shantaram said, “She came on the stage, took the party flag and our state president announced she joined BJP. Don't know why she changed her stand. Doesn't she know meaning of taking flag on stage from president? ANI

Karnataka minister and Independent MLA H Nagesh resigned Monday and withdrew support to the HD Kumaraswamy-led government, delivering another blow to the JD(S)-Congress government in the state.

Nagesh, who was recently inducted into the ministry as small scale industries minister, met Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan here and submitted the letter.

The move comes amid reports that ministers in the coalition government will be asked to step down to make way for disgruntled MLAs who have resigned.

The Congress-JD(S) government has plunged into crisis with 13 MLAs of the alliance submitting their resignations to the Speaker so far.

The ruling coalition faces the risk of losing its majority if the resignations are accepted.

The JD(S)-Congress coalition's total strength after Nagesh withdrawing his support, is 117 (Congress-78, JD(S)-37, BSP-1 and Independents-1), besides the Speaker.

The BJP has 105 MLAs in the House, where the half-way mark is 113. If the resignations of the MLAs are accepted, the coalition's tally will be reduced to 104. The Speaker also has a vote.

Terming the Bharatiya Janata Party a "poacher party", Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday said his party will try to raise the Karnataka political crisis in Parliament but not reveal its strategy.

The resignation of 13 Karnataka MLAs has plunged the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government in the state into a political crisis. Twelve legislators—nine from the Congress and three from the JD(S)—resigned on Saturday.

Congress MLA Anand Singh had resigned on July 1.

"We'll try to raise the Karnataka issue in Parliament but we won't reveal our weapons. But it is clear that the BJP is a poacher party," Chowdhury, who is the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, told reporters outside Parliament.

The BJP has however denied any role in the matter and said it was the "power struggle" between Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Congress leader and his predecessor Siddaramaiah that has resulted in the Karnataka political crisis.