Live
- Cops silence deafening noise of 100 bikes
- Guv inaugurates medical screening camp for Raj Bhavan staff
- Job fair for pharmacist roles tomorrow
- New ration cards to be issued in January
- Job mela at Masab Tank tomorrow
- New toilets facilitated for MPP school students
- Steps to safeguard natural springs gain momentum
- RWAs want officials to clear fog over SCB-GHMC merger
- Tanks, canals remain neglected despite execution of MGNREGS works
- BRS to celebrate Deeksha Diwas on Nov 29, Dec 9
Karnataka crisis: Congress steps up efforts to persuade Ramalinga Reddy
Sources in the Congress told that party's state working president Eshwar Khandre and H K Patil have headed to Ramalinga Reddy's residence.
Bengaluru: The Congress on Sunday intensified efforts to persuade another rebel MLA Ramalinga Reddy to return to the party fold, in a desperate bid to save the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in Karnataka teetering in the wake of the resignation of its legislators.
Sources in the Congress told PTI that the party's state working president Eshwar Khandre and H K Patil have headed to Ramalinga Reddy's residence. Reddy, BTM Layout Assembly MLA, is said to be maintaining silence and has not been responding to the party's attempts to appease him. He is also among the MLAs who have resigned.
On Saturday, a team of BJP leaders led by Yelahanka MLA S R Vishwanath and Padmanabha Reddy had called on him at his residence. "Ramalinga Reddy has neither gone to Mumbai, nor he has given any statement that can be considered as an anti-party activity. It is incumbent upon us to persuade him. We are sure he won't leave the party," said party spokesperson Subhash Agarwal.
The coalition government is on a sticky wicket with 16 MLAs--13 of the Congress and three of the JD(S) -- resigning from the Assembly. Besides, two independent legislators, who were made ministers recently to provide stability, have quit the cabinet.
The independents -- H Nagesh and R Shankar -- have also withdrawn support to the coalition government and are now supporting the BJP. The ruling coalition's strength in the House is 116 (Congress 78, JD(S) 37 and BSP one), besides the speaker.
With the support of the two independents, the opposition BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House. If the resignations of the 16 MLAs are accepted, the ruling coalition's tally will be reduced to 100. The speaker has a vote too.
