Karnataka crisis: Rebels move SC against Speaker, 2 MLAs quit
The ruling coalition faces the threat of losing its majority if the resignations of the rebel MLAs are accepted.
Bengaluru: Even as the unstable Congress-JD(S) coalition government moved closer to collapsing with the resignations of two more MLAs on Wednesday, Karnataka’s political crisis reached Delhi when 10 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs moved the Supreme Court against the Speaker, alleging that he had failed in his “constitutional duty” by deliberately not accepting their resignations.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi took note of the submission of senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the rebel MLAs, and assured him that it will see whether their petition can be listed for urgent hearing on Thursday.
“Abhishek Manu Singhvi will represent us in Supreme Court on Thursday in the case filed by rebel Karnataka MLAs,” Congress leader K.C. Venugopal said. In Bengaluru, amid high drama in Vidhana Soudha, housing minister M.T.B. Nagaraj and Dr K. Sudhakar, both staunch loyalists of former chief minister Siddaramaiah, resigned from their membership of the Assembly, taking the tally of resignations to 16 over the last five days.
The Vidhana Soudha was the epicentre of the tug-of-war between the political forces in the state with senior Congress leaders coming to near blows inside the Assembly, and the streets outside turning into a virtual battle zone as the Congress alongside its JD(S) partner and the BJP held protests.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and other Congress leaders were detained by the police. Chikballapur Congress MLA Dr K. Sudhakar was allegedly heckled by his own party collegues, pulled by his collar and pushed into major industries minister K.J. George’s chamber after he submitted his resignation, alongside housing minister and Hoskote Congress MLA M.T.B. Nagaraj.
Dr Sudhakar faced the ire of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Chief Dinesh Gundurao as well as Priyank Kharge. He was allowed to leave the room only after Governor Vajubai Vala intervened and directed Bengaluru police commissioner Alok Kumar to produce the Congress MLA before him at Raj Bhavan within 10 minutes. The Governor made the call after he received a frantic phone call from Dr Sudhakar’s wife.
Following instructions from Mr Vala, Dr Sudhakar was taken to Raj Bhavan amid tight police security where the MLA is learnt to have given a detailed account of what happened at Vidhana Soudha.
Of the 14 MLAs who have resigned, 11 are from the Congress and three from JD(S). The ruling coalition faces the threat of losing its majority if the resignations of the rebel MLAs are accepted.
The coalition’s total strength is 116 (Congress-78, JDS-37 and BSP-1), besides the Speaker. With the support of the two Independents, who Monday resigned from the ministry, the BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House, where the half-way mark is 113.
If the resignations of the 14 MLAs are accepted, the coalition’s tally will be reduced to 102. The Speaker also has a vote.