Karnataka rebel MLAs meet Speaker, submit resignations again
New Delhi, Jul 11 (IBNS): After the Supreme Court's order, the rebel Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs of Karnataka met Vidha Soudha Speaker Ramesh Kumar at 6 pm on Thursday to confirm their resignation.
If the resignations are accepted by the Speaker, it would leave the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition in minority.
The MLAs were provided heavy police protection following the Supreme Court's order for the same.
Meanwhile, the rebel lawmakers, who were parked at Renaissance Hotel in Mumbai, had also sought the top court to ask the Speaker to stop threatening them with disqualifications.
The apex court has asked the Speaker to make up his mind on Thursday and convey his decision to the court.
Days after 16 Congress-JDS MLAs had withdrawn their support to the Karnataka government, two independent MLAs on Wednesday pulled themselves out of the HD Kumaraswamy government, giving a fresh jolt to the ruling coalition.
As a result, the coalition's tally of seats fell from 118 to 100 in a 224-member Assembly. The majority mark is 113.
If the resignations of 16 MLAs are accepted by the Speaker, the halfway mark in 208-member Assembly will fall to 105 giving the single largest party, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a smooth sail to power with its tally of 105 seats.
A new drama unfolded in Mumbai a day ago after Congress' crisis-manager DK Shivakumar went to meet the rebel MLAs at Renaissance Hotel but was stopped by police of the BJP-ruled state.
Later Mumbai Congress leader Milind Deora went to the spot but he was arrested along with Shivakumar.
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