Govt won't fall, BJP threatened two MLAs: Congress on Karnataka crisis

Bengaluru, July 01: Amid political crisis in Karnataka after the resignations of two Congress MLAs from assembly, state chief of the grand old party Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday assured that the coalition government would not fall.

Rao's assertion comes after former chief minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting of prominent leaders of the party on Monday evening.

In a major blow to the coalition in Karnataka, two Congress legislators in have resigned from the post. Anand Singh resigned first, and hours later Ramesh Jarkiholi gave his resignation to the Speaker.

"Couple of MLAs will go but it doesn't mean the government will fall, they are going because they threatened them, blackmailed them & offered money. Why is BJP doing this?" Rao said today after the meeting.

Rumours are also doing rounds that the resignations of three or four more MLAs may soon follow.

The development comes at a time when JD(S) leader and Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in the US for the foundation laying ceremony of a temple.

Gundu Rao said the ones who had resigned were under severe pressure from the Opposition BJP on some ground or the other.

BJP's KS Eshwarappa reportedly said that Congress leaders themselves know that more MLAs are going to quit the party soon, but want to brush it off.

The Congress-JDS coalition had quickly stitched together an alliance last year to keep out the BJP, which had won 104 seats in state elections to the 225-member house. The Congress will be left with 79 seats after Anand Singh's resignation while HD Kumaraswamy's party has 37 seats. The BSP and an Independent lawmaker also support the coalition.