Bengaluru | Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah responding to the ongoing political crisis in the state has issued a warning to the rebel MLAs to either withdraw their resignation or face disqualification.
Addressing the media after the Congress legislative party meeting in Bengaluru, Siddaramiah said, “Karnataka Congress is seeking disqualification of members for their anti-party activity. They colluded with BJP. I request them to come back&withdraw their resignation”.”We’ve decided to file a petition before the speaker to disqualify them and request him to not accept the resignation,” he added.
Demanding strict action against the Rebel MLAs, the former CM said, “We are also requesting the Speaker to take legal action under the anti-defection law. We are requesting him in our letter to not only disqualify them but also bar them from contesting election for 6 years.”
Accusing the opposition BJP of destabilizing the state government, the Congress leader said, “It has been a habit of BJP to destabilise the govt. This is undemocratic, people haven’t given a mandate to BJP to form the govt. People have given more votes to us. Both JD(S) and Congress together got more than 57% of votes.”
Siddaramiah further accused the along with the BJP’s state unit even the national leadership is involved in horsetrading. He said,” This time not only state BJP wing but also national level leaders like Amit Shah and Mr Modi are involved. On their direction efforts have been put to destabilise govt. It’s against democracy and people’s mandate. They’re offering money, position, ministership.”
As Karnataka Congress-JD(S) falls on the brink of collapse, all the ministers resigned to give space for the accommodation of a cabinet reshuffle, and 2 more independent MLAs resigned.
There was no immediate word from the rebel camp on the move to reshuffle the Cabinet in a bid to save the wobbly 13-month-old government, 10 of the Congress and 3 of the JD(S)– submitted their resignations to the Assembly Speaker’s office on Saturday triggering a fresh political crisis.
Of the 13 MLAs, 10–seven of them from the Congress–were holed up in a luxury hotel in Mumbai since Saturday and were joined by H Nagesh, one of the two Independent MLAs and a minister who quit, on Monday.
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