Even as two legislators withdrew their support to the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy sought to put up a brave front on Tuesday, saying his government was stable.
"I know my strength. My government is stable. Don't worry," he said.
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Independent legislator H. Nagesh and KPJP MLA R. Shankar have written to Governor Vajubhai Vala announcing withdrawal of their support to the seven-month-old government. The move came a day after both the ruling Congress-JDS coalition and opposition BJP traded charges of making a bid to poach MLAs.
The Congress accused the BJP of bribing the two MLAs and lodging them at a hotel in Mumbai.
"What is going to happen? If two independents declare support (to BJP). What will be the numbers? I am totally relaxed," the chief minister said, taking an apparent dig at the BJP.
The loss of two MLAs does not hurt the government right now, as the coalition has maintained majority in the assembly. Of the 224-member Karnataka assembly, the ruling coalition has the support of 118 lawmakers. The majority mark of the state assembly is 113; BJP has 104.
"Today is Makar Sankranti. On this day we want a change in government... so I am withdrawing my support today," said Shankar on Tuesday. He was removed from his cabinet position of minister of forest department recently.
According to media reports, six to eight Congress MLAs are ready to cross over to the BJP, and some lawmakers of the ruling coalition have gone incommunicado.
Meanwhile, the BJP has shifted its MLAs to a resort in Haryana's Nuh district near the national capital, reported PTI.
BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and other senior leaders like Shobha Karandlaje are among the 104 MLAs staying put in the ITC Grand Bharat resort in Nuh district since Monday.
