Karnataka: 2 Independent MLAs withdraw support from Cong-JD(S) govt

Bengaluru: Two Independent MLA’s withdrew their support from the ruling Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka and submitted their letter to the Governor announcing the withdrawal of their support.

This came after the Karnataka Minister D.K. Shivakumar alleged that the BJP was trying to poach the state’s Congress legislators.

While addressing the media on Monday, Minister for Irrigation Shivakumar said “Three of our MLAs are in Mumbai. We (Congress) are aware of the horse trading that is being attempted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Our legislators have also admitted to being approached by the BJP.”

The ruling alliance of Congress and JD(S) and opposition BJP are levelling allegations of making an attempt to poach MLAs in a fresh political war just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Independent MLAs, H Nagesh and R Shankar, submitted a letter to the Governor and announced the withdrawal of their support from the Kumaraswamy-led government.

H Nagesh, one of the MLAs who withdrew support said “My support to coalition government was to provide a good and stable government which utterly failed. There is no understanding among the coalition partners. So, I decided to go with BJP to install a stable government and see that the government performs better than the coalition.”

Another MLA R Shankar stated that “Today is Makar Sankranti. On this day we want a change in the government. The government should be efficient, so I am withdrawing my support (to the Karnataka government) today.”

Responding to this the Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said, “If two MLAs withdraw their support, what will be the numbers? I’m totally relaxed. I know my strength. Whatever is going on in media in the past week, I am enjoying.”

The ruling coalition has 118 lawmakers in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, With the latest withdrawal of two MLAs, the number has come down to 116, which is just above the halfway mark of 113.