Bengaluru: Leaders of the crisis-hit ruling Cong-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka were locked in hectic parleys Sunday to discuss the future course of action to save the government that is on the brink of collapse, even as efforts to mollify rebel Congress MLA M T B Nagaraj failed.
However, the embattled leaders continued with efforts to woo back some legislators who have resigned, especially seven time Congress MLA Ramalinga Reddy, ahead of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamys trust vote expected this week.
This, even as rebel legislators, who are camped in Mumbai, made it clear that they were united and "firm" on their resignations.
Meanwhile, opposition BJP reiterated that the coalition has lost majority and demanded that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy resign immediately or seek a trust vote on Monday itself.
The coalition government is on a shaky wicket with 16 MLAs — 13 of the Congress and three of the JD(S) resigning their assembly membership.
Besides, two independent legislators, who were made ministers recently to provide stability, have quit the ministry and withdrawn support.
The coalition leaders received a major jolt Sunday morning as Nagaraj, with whom they had held day long talks on Saturday in a bid to woo him back to save the government, flew to Mumbai and joined the rebel MLAs camped there.
After reaching Mumbai, Nagaraj, speaking to reporters, made it clear that there was no question of withdrawing his resignation and that he was "firm" on the decision.
Just ahead of leaving the city, the Hoskote MLA had told reporters that he intended to take a final decision on the withdrawal of his resignation after talks with Chikkaballapura MLA K Sudhakar, as both had together submitted resignations to the Speaker on July 10.
"I'm also trying for it (withdraw). Only thing is that I have to meet Sudhakar, I haven't met him. I will meet him, he should be somewhere," he said, adding "my intention is that we have to withdraw it (resignation) together."
After almost day-long negotiations on Saturday, it appeared Congress had made some headway in pacifying Nagaraj, who had hinted he might consider withdrawing his resignation, but had fallen short of making any final announcement.
Visuals of Nagaraj boarding a chartered flight and BJP leader R Ashoka's presence in the vicinity had surfaced on local news channels soon after he spoke to the media,following which senior Congress leaders, including Minister D K Shivakumar had alleged that the saffron party was behind it.
Denying that Ashoka flew with him and that the saffron party's influence was behind his resignation, Nagaraj said, Shivakumars statements are "far from the truth".
As news of Nagaraj boarding a flight to Mumbai surfaced, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy rushed to residence of his father and JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda and held discussions.
Meetings were also on in Congress circles at a hotel, where party legislators have camped under the leadership of CLP leader Siddaramaiah, who has convened the legislature party meeting on Monday morning.
Later, leaders of both parties, including Kumaraswamy, Minister D K Shivakumar, CLP leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Diensh Gundu Rao, Mallikarjun Kharge among others held discussion.
Ahead of the meeting, Kumaraswamy and Shivakumar met Congress MLA Nagendra, undergoing treatment at a hospital here, amid reports that BJP leaders were in touch with him.
In an attempt to pacify MLAs, coalition leaders tried to convince senior legislator Ramalinga Reddy, to withdraw his resignation as they feel that if he does so, three Congress legislators from Bengaluru city, S T Somashekar, Munirathna and Byrathi Basavaraj may also follow suit.
Reddy however did not make any comments and said he would not speak politics until July 15, the day he has been asked by the Speaker to appear before him on his resignation as MLA.
Congress leaders H K Patil and Eshwar Khandre, who met Reddy, said they requested him to withdraw his resignation and continue to lead the party.
Later in the day senior Congress leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Rao, Shivakumar, Kharge, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, AICC
General Secretary K C
Venugopal visited Reddy's residence and made attempts to convince him.