Two Independent MLAs withdraw support from Karnataka government

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Jan 15, 2019: Two Independent MLAs have withdrawn their support to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in Karnataka amid allegations of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempting to topple the state government. The two Independent MLAs who have withdrawn support to the JDS-Congress government are H Nagesh and R Shankar.

After withdrawing support, Independent MLA R Shankar said that he had taken the step as he wants a change in the government. "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 govt) today," he said.

H Nagesh also said that the government failed in providing good and stable government. "My support to a coalition was to provide a good and stable government which utterly failed. There’s no understanding among coalition partners. So, I decided to go with BJP to install stable government and see that it performs better than this coalition," he said.

However, Congress has been claiming that the Karnataka government is in no danger. "We have been saying that BJP is luring our MLAs through money and power but their attempts to destabilise the government will fail. Our government is stable," Deputy Karnataka CM G Parameshwara said.

In the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the current government has been formed with 80 Congress MLAs, 37 JDS, one BSP and two Independents. The BJP with 104 MLAs as needs the support of at least 14 more MLAs to make come to power.

Congress leader Siddaramaiah also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking why the BJP leaders were being allowed to "destabilise" the state government.

Mocking the Modi government’s slogan of "Saaf Niyat, Sahi Vikas", Siddaramaiah tweeted: "’Mr Saaf Niyat’ Narendra Modi, is allowing your disgraceful BJP Karnataka leaders to destabilise government a ’Saaf Niyat’ towards democracy?"

The former CM also tweeted: "your PR slogans do not hide your actual `niyat` and your `sahi vikas` should go beyond developing resorts. First show your niyat to people."

Meanwhile, a five-star hotel in Mumbai has reportedly turned into a battleground as some Karnataka Congress and some Independent MLAs are residing there. The security at the hotel has also been hiked with senior officials of Karnataka Police present at the premises.

An ex MLA (BJP) Nelmangla Nagraj is said to be coordinating with the dissenting legislators.

Courtesy:Zeenews