Siddaramaiah wants to become CM: BJP's Union Minister

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi on Saturday claimed that Congress leader Siddaramaiah could be behind the resignation of the 11 coalition MLAs and said the BJP would "do anything" only after the Congress-JD(S) coalition government collapses on its own in Karnataka.

"I feel that Siddaramaiah does not want this government to continue. He is probably trying to once again Chief Minister," he told reporters here adding "We are observing the situation. When the government falls by itself, we can do anything."

Joshi attributed the resignation to discontent within the party. "There is discontent and displeasure in the Congress party at the state and national levels. They (MLAs) are resigning because of that (displeasure). Some of them do not want their government to continue," he added.

The dissidence-plagued state government appeared to have fallen into a minority with 11 of the MLAs belonging to the two parties quitting the Assembly as the crisis deepened for the ruling dispensation.

On the day of high drama, eight of the coalition MLAs went to Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Vajubhai Vala, while three of the Congress MLAs have gone to the residence of the Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, who has mounted efforts to wean away the dissidents and persuade them to withdraw their resignations.

Senior Congress leader and former Home Minister, Ramalinga Reddy who resigned went to Shiv Kumar's residence along with Bhyrathi Basavaraju and P Somshekhar.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who belongs to the JD(S), is away in the US and is expected to fly back here on Sunday.

With today's developments, the strength of the ruling coalition in Karnataka has come down to 105, which is eight short of the half-way mark of 113 for a majority.Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Shivakumar have called an emergency meeting of Congress' Bengaluru MLAs and corporators later today at 5 pm.

Shivakumar, while talking the media, dismissed the developments and claimed that the coalition government will not break down. "Nobody will resign. I had come to meet them (Eight Congress and three JDS MLAs who had reached the Speaker's office)."

( With inputs from ANI )