In a major setback to the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka, two independent MLAs- H Nagesh and R Shankar have withdrawn their support to the state government led by HD Kumaraswamy.
Speaking to ANI, H Nagesh said; "My support to coalition government was to provide good and stable government which utterly failed. There's no understanding between coalition partners. So I decided to go with the BJP to install stable government and see that government performs stable than coalition".
Meanwhile, fearing poaching of its legislatores by Congress-JD(S) coalition, BJP in the state has shifted its MLAs to a resort in Haryana's Nuh district, sources told PTI.
BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and other senior leaders like Shobha Karandlaje are among the 104 MLAs staying put in the ITC Grand Bharat resort in Hasanpur Tauru in Nuh district since Monday.
The sources said the BJP legislators have been shifted to the resort in an attempt to keep the flock together and thwart any poaching attempt by the Congress-JD(S) combine.
"We are staying in the resort. We don't know how long we are going to be here," Shettar told PTI.
About three-four MLAs have gone back to the state for personal work and they would return soon, the sources said.
According to media reports, six to eight Congress MLAs are ready to cross over to the BJP and some lawmakers of the ruling coalition having gone incommunicado.
Amid the political cacophony, Deputy Karnataka Chief Minister G Parameshwara alleged that BJP is luring Congress MLAs through money and power. He also assured that the present government is stable.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that he was totally relaxed even after the 2 MLAs withdrew their support. "I know my strength. Whatever is going on in media in the past week, I am enjoying", he said.
A major political drama unfolded on Monday when over 100 lawmakers from both the sides went missing on Sunday. While BJP flew its 100-odd lawmakers to Delhi and later to a resort in neighbouring Gurgaon, alleging that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy was trying to split it ranks, the Congress has claimed that the incident of its 'missing' lawmakers is a proof that the BJP has launched 'Operation Lotus'. The term was first used in 2008, when the saffron party was accused of inciting several opposition legislators to defect to ensure the stability of its government headed by BS Yeddyurappa.
In the 224-member Assembly, BJP has 104 members, Congress-79, JDS 37, BSP, KPJP and Independent one each, besides Speaker. BSP, KPJP and an Independent are supporting the coalition.
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