Karnataka crisis like 'rainy season', says Congress' Mahendra Singhi

HD Kumaraswamy

Calling the ongoing political turmoil in Karnataka a "family matter", Congress leader Mahendra Singhi on Sunday said tensions prevailing in the state are like the "rainy season" which comes and goes.

Singhi, who met disgruntled Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi at the Sofitel Hotel here, said that everything in the 13-month-old Congress-JD(S) coalition government is fine and there is nothing to worry about.

"It is our duty to talk to those who are upset. I had a discussion regarding the issue. I only met Ramesh Jharkiholi and not any other MLAs.

It's an internal family matter. We will solve them among ourselves. It is like the season of rain which comes and go. Everything will be fine; there is nothing to worry about.

I only met Ramesh Jarkiholi. I won't say anything about what I don't know," he said when asked by reporters about his meeting inside the hotel.

BJP MLC Prasad Lad was also seen outside the Mumbai hotel where the Karnataka legislators are staying. Karnataka's coalition government slumped into crisis following the resignation of their 11 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly.

However, JD(S) MLA H Vishwanath said that 14 MLAs have jointly tendered their resignations to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and requested him to accept them. However, the Speaker has not yet accepted the resignations.

As many as 10 Karnataka Congress-JD(S) MLAs on Saturday arrived at Sofitel hotel in Mumbai after submitting their resignations.

After this dramatic turn of events, the state government appeared to have fallen into a minority forcing Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is in the US, to cut short his visit.

Siddaramaiah late on Saturday evening held a meeting with the party MLAs where he is believed to have discussed the current political situation in the state, among other things. The meeting took place at his house.

The strength of the ruling coalition in Karnataka has come down to 105, which is eight short of the half-way mark of 113 for a majority.

The MLAs who resigned from the Assembly include BC Patil, H Vishwanath, Narayan Gowda, S Hebbar, Mahesh Kumatalli, Gopalayya, Ramesh Jharkiholi, and Pratap Gowda Patil.

Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi had also resigned from the government earlier this week.

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