Karnataka crisis: Rebel MLA Nagaraj spotted with BJP’s R Ashok at Mumbai airport

New Delhi, July 14: Rebel Congress MLA MTB Nagaraj, who earlier had hinted that he was withdrawing his resignation and would remain with the Congress party, was seen arriving at Mumbai airport with BJP leader R Ashok.

Hoskote MLA MTB Nagaraj even promised the Congress leaders that he will try to bring back Chikballapur MLA Sudhakar Rao and make him support the coalition government in the state. Sources said even Congress's Ramalinga Reddy is likely to take a decision on his resignation on Sunday.

Nagaraj is the Housing Minister in the 13-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government. He was made a minister on December 22 when the Cabinet was reshuffled and expanded.

Nagaraj's withdrawal of resignation will barely make a difference, with the other MLAs still standing firm on quitting.

With the Supreme Court set to hear the Karnataka assembly case on Tuesday, five more rebel Congress- JD (S) MLAs have now approached the court, alleging that the Speaker did not accept their resignations.

In their plea to the Supreme Court, the five MLAs -- Anand Singh, Munirathna, K Sudhakar, MTB Nagaraju and Roshan Baig -- have said that legislators have the "fundamental right to resign in consultation with his conscience or other attendant circumstances".