Bengaluru

As the political situation gets precarious in the state, Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Tuesday said that he has written to the Governor Vajubhai Vala apprising him on the ongoing crisis in the state and asked the rebel MLAs to meet him.

"Have written to Governor that none of the rebel MLAs have met me. He has expressed confidence that I'll uphold constitutional norms. Out of 13 resignations, 8 are not according to law. I've given them time to present themselves before me," he said.

The Speaker also said he has received a petition from Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramiah seekig disqualification of the dissident MLAs.

Earlier today, Congress leader Siddaramaiah had said that his party would seek the disqualification of the rebel legislators for their alleged anti-party activities. 

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After the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting, the party also urged Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to ban these MLAs, who have "colluded" with the BJP, from contesting elections for at least six years.

"The CLP has decided to submit a petition to the Speaker seeking disqualification of the members who are trying to resign from their membership. Not only to disqualify them, but they shall not be allowed to contest the election for the next six years," Siddaramaiah told reporters after the meeting.

Congress leaders have repeatedly accused the BJP and the Central government of orchestrating the current crisis in the state, a charge the BJP has denied.

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"The BJP doesn't want the Congress to be in power anywhere, be it in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan or Karnataka. They are conspiring to topple the government in Karnataka," alleged Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday.

However, BJP leaders have asserted that the Saffron Party has nothing to do with the ongoing crisis in Karnataka.

Responding to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who accused the BJP of engineering defections to destabilise the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that his party does not believe in politics of horse-trading and is committed to parliamentary democracy.

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Former chief minister and BJP's state unit president BS Yeddyurappa on Monday demanded the resignation of chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, saying the Congress-JD(S) government in the state has lost the majority.

The BJP has made it clear that if a new government is formed in the state, Yeddyurappa will become the chief minister.

Meanwhile, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday claimed that the current crisis in the state will be resolved and the government will run smoothly. The Chief Minister's statement came after 21 state minister of the Congress stepped down from their positions. Similarly, all JD(S) ministers also resigned, paving way for the restructuring of the cabinet.

(With inputs from agencies)