After meeting DKS, rebel MTB Nagaraj hints he may return

Bengaluru, July 13: One of the rebel Congress MLAs, MTB Nagaraj, on Saturday seemed to relent and said "after all I have spent decades in Congress".

His statement came after Congress strongman D K Shivakumar, who had earlier gone all the way to Mumbai to meet the rebel MLAs but was denied entry into the hotel in which they were staying in, met Nagaraj at his Bengaluru residence. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara also met Nagaraj this morning.

"Situation was such that we submitted our resignations but now D K Shivakumar and others came and requested us to withdraw resignations, I will speak to K Sudhakar Rao and then see what is to be done, after all I have spent decades in Congress," Nagaraj told reporters today.

All three key players ruling Congress and JDS and opposition BJP have herded their MLAs in luxury stays to keep their flock intact amid the continuing imbroglio triggered by the legislators' resignation saga.

"We should live together and die together because we have worked for 40 years for the party, there are ups and downs in every family. We should forget everything and move forward. Happy that MTB Nagaraj (rebel MLA) has assured us he will stay with us," Shivakumar told after the meeting.

The resignation of 16 MLAs (13 from Congress and three from JDS) has pushed the coalition government in Karnataka to the brink of collapse. With the support of the two independents, the BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House, where the half-way mark is 113. If the resignations of the 16 MLAs are accepted, the coalition's tally will be reduced to 100.