Amid Karnataka crisis, Congress urges state Assembly Speaker to not accept resignations of the 13 Cong-JD(S) MLAs

With the increasing political crisis in the state, Karnataka Congress' legal department has petitioned the Speaker, urging him not to accept resignations of 13 Congress-JD(S) legislators, alleging that rules have not been followed during its submission. Congress requested Speaker Ramesh Kumar to take a final decision only after holding separate inquiry with MLAs and to hold hearings to gather the public opinion of the constituency they represent.

In a letter to the Speaker, C M Dhananjaya, chairman of the KPCC Legal and Human Rights department has said that the MLAs have not submitted their resignations in accordance with the constitution and legislative assembly rules. "They have to submit the resignations to you (Speaker) in person," it pointed and alleged that the legislators have not resigned "voluntarily".

Dhananjaya has further accused the MLAs, who have resigned, of intentionally not meeting the Speaker in person, adding that they had submitted resignations to his office in his absence, "without taking any prior appointment from you, out of malice". They resigned "bowing to compulsions, allurements and such resignations cannot be accepted according to law," he added.

READ | Karnataka Numbers: BJP's Yeddyurappa Claims 107 MLAs In His Fold, As Critical Halfway Mark Falls Amid Congress-JDS & Independents' Resignations

Meanwhile, amid the political crisis in Karnataka, BJP state chief BS Yeddyurappa has claimed that his party has received the support of 107 MLAs now, and he is demanding CM Kumaraswamy to step down with the decrease in Congress-JD(S) MLAs to the minority in the state Assembly. BS Yeddyurappa said that two independent MLAs have also met the Karnataka Governor and tendered their letter in support of BJP, which are increasing the number of BJP-backers to 107 in the state. 

If the Speaker accepts the resignations of the 13 Congress-JD(S) MLAs, then the ruling coalition will reduce to minority in the Assembly, making way for the BJP party to take over the government in the state.

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(With PTI inputs)