Kumar abhay, Member of Legislative Assembly, Belagavi Dakshin, Karnataka

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 )

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Talking to reporters after a meeting of party leaders here to discuss the crisis faced by the ruling Congress-JD(S) ... ...

Over 13 months-old Karnataka's coalition government of Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress on Saturday slumped into crisis following the resignation of their 11 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly. ...

Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot on Saturday blamed Congress-JD(S) coalition for the political crisis in Karnataka, saying the state government failed to fulfill the promises made to the people. ...

The Congress on Saturday hit out at the BJP over the resignations of 11 MLAs of the ruling coalition in Karnataka, alleging that the Central government was "orchestrating the defections". ...

Karnataka plunged into a major political crisis on Saturday as 11 MLAs from the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine quit, reducing the 13-month-old government to a minority in the 225-member state Assembly. ...

Talking to reporters after a meeting of party leaders here to discuss the crisis faced by the ruling Congress-JD(S) ... ...

at least 10 of the 11 ruling coalition MLAs in karnataka, who have resigned from the Assembly, have flown to Mumbai. ...

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