To accept or not to accept, is the dilemma faced by the Karnataka assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar, after two rebel Congress legislators sent in their resignation letters.
A couple of days after two MLAs—Anand Singh (Vijayanagar) and Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak)—tendered their resignation letters, Kumar was furious over the members failing to come in person to meet him.
While acknowledging that he had received just one resignation letter (from Anand Singh), Kumar slammed him for submitting a copy to the Governor too.
"The fact that he has met the Governor and given his resignation shows there is a hidden motive. If people have the time, they might as well submit the resignation to the President too," said Kumar sarcastically.
The speaker said he would consult legal experts and also ascertain if the resignation was submitted under duress. "Our Constitution does not provide the right to recall an elected representative. But when an MLA wants to resign he certainly is answerable to his voters," said Kumar.
Strangely, Ramesh Jarkiholi who had faxed his resignation letter to the speaker's office on Monday, did not bother to meet the speaker even after two days.
Alleging total disregard for the constitutional procedures, the speaker ridiculed Jarkiholi for faxing the resignation letter. "Is this a post office or the speaker's office? Does he consider me to be his employee? The members should follow the rules and procedures of this House," said Kumar.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, who is on a US tour, is said to have urged the rebels to wait till he returns and has assured them a patient hearing.
All through the crisis, the Congress leaders have been insisting that they would talk to the rebels and pacify them. However, both KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao and coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah went ahead with their prior appointments, stating there was no need for any emergency meeting.
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Rao is on a tour to London with his family. Siddaramaiah is touring the Mysuru district, holding meetings with party workers, all indicating a mid-term poll.
In an interesting development, Hunsur MLA A.H. Vishwanath, who resigned as JDS state president recently, stepped up his ante against the coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy.
Vishwanath, who has landed in Delhi after a tour to Assam's Kamakhya temple, was spotted rubbing shoulders with senior BJP MPs from the state.
Speaking to reporters, Vishwanath alleged that the coalition government in Karnataka was a failure.
"The state is in political anarchy. We have become a laughing stock in the country. The state government is eclipsed for the last one year. Following a fractured mandate, the Congress and JDS joined hands to form a coalition. It was an experiment. But today, people are talking about the failure of the coalition," said the Kuruba leader, adding that both Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah had failed to save the coalition.
"The leaders are behaving in an irresponsible manner. Kumaraswamy has failed to safeguard the coalition. No leader is reaching out to the disgruntled legislators. The coordination committee has excluded state presidents of both the Congress and the JDS. The committee has not worked out any common minimum programme even after an year. They are putting the coalition government at stake," lamented Vishwanath, evading questions on his joining the BJP.
"None of the three parties seem to be bothered about the overall development of the state. As a senior leader of the state, I am pained," he said.
JDS supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, who is holding marathon party meetings, dismissed rumours of a political coup saying the Congress leaders were capable of containing rebellion.
"Two members resigning will not destabilise the government. Leaders like Siddaramaiah, deputy Chief Minister Parameshwara and D.K. Shivakumar will manage their party members, " said Gowda.
The BJP leaders have distanced themselves from the rebel Congress MLA resignations stating the party has approached none and would step in only if there is a constitutional crisis.
