Updated: July 8, 2019 11:09 PM IST 
New Delhi: Karnataka political crisis escalated on Monday after Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara offered to resign from his post. The drama continued throughout the day. Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, who returned to the city from a week-long private visit to the US, held talks with Congress leaders, including its state in-charge KC Venugopal, legislature party leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao to resolve the crisis threatening the year-old coalition government.
The day had began with Independent MLA and minister Nagesh quitting his post and pledging support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This was followed by all Congress ministers submitting their resignation to the party chief to placate the rebel MLAs. Soon, the JD(S) ministers also resigned.
Congress MLA Roshan Baig, while claiming to stay put in Bengaluru, said he was hurt by the way the Congress had treated him and threatened to join BJP instead.
Though Deve Gowda advised Kumaraswamy to wait for Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar’s decision on the resignations, others want him to call the party rebels back from Mumbai and ask them to withdraw their resignations before the Speaker acts on them.
“Our three rebel legislators (A.H. Vishwanath, Gopalaiah and Narayana Gowda) did not tell our leaders what were their concerns or demands all these months. Suddenly, they joined the Congress rebels and resigned without informing even Deve Gowda” party spokesman Ramesh Babu said.
He added,”Kumaraswamy will discuss with the Congress leaders if it will also induct some of its rebels in the 34-member Cabinet ministry by dropping an equal number of its ministers.”
Earlier on Sunday, the Karnataka CM held parleys with the ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leaders on the party’s three MLAs resigning along with nine Congress rebels on Saturday.
Karnataka Crisis LIVE: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has rubbished threats to his government. The Congress has blamed the BJP for orchestrating the split.
Karnataka Crisis LIVE: 14 Karnataka Congress-JD(S) MLAs leave Mumbai for Goa.
Karnataka Crisis LIVE: Roshan Baig on being asked if he will join Bharatiya Janata Party, “Kyun nahi! Main imaan nahi badal raha. BJP is also a political party, uss mein kya buri baat hai.”
Karnataka Crisis LIVE: Congress leaders K C Venugopal, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara, MB Patil and Eshwara Khandre hold meeting at an undisclosed location, with legal advisers to discuss the further action against the MLAs who have resigned.
Karnataka Crisis LIVE: A Limbavali of BJP says, “But this govt changed our agenda as they’ve now come in minority. Ques is will this govt stay or not. It was discussed to wait for 2 more days & see if this govt resigns or not&then decide our course of action. We’ll hold a legislative party meet again tomorrow.”
Karnataka Crisis LIVE: “There is a drought and infrastructure issues here for past year. During Congress govt here, no development was done. Today’s meeting was called to discuss the issues to be taken up in the assembly session which begins on July 12,” says BJP MLA Arvind Limbavali.
Karnataka Crisis LIVE: “Hurt by the way Congress party treated me, I’ll resign from my MLA post and join BJP,” says Roshan Baig.
Karnataka Crisis LIVE: Congress leaders arrive for a meeting at Kumara Krupa Guest House in Bengaluru. Karnataka Congress in charge K C Venugopal says, “Don’t worry.”
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