Rebel MLA Nagraj back in Cong fold, Siddaramaiah says will get most MLAs on board before floor test

Amidst intense efforts by Congress to placate and woo its rebel legislators in the state, MLA MTB Nagaraj late on Saturday night announced that he was withdrawing his resignation and would remain with the Congress party.

Congress leader Siddaramaiah also said that he was confident of getting most MLAs on board in the floor test of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government.

"Sudhakar and I had given resignations from MLAs' post. All the leaders are asking me to stay in the Congress since morning. I have decided to stay in the party," Nagraj told media persons here.

Hoskote MLA Nagaraj and Chikballapur Congress MLA K Sudhakar Rao were among the rebel Congress- JD(S) MLAs, who resigned from the Assembly on July 10.

This development comes after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy met the Hoskote MLA Nagaraj at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah's residence in the city.

"We will try to convince Sudhakar and both of us will take our resignation back," Nagraj said.

Nagaraj had earlier in the day hinted about his return and credited colleague DK Shivakumar for helping him make the decision.

"Situation was such that we submitted our resignations, but now DK Shivakumar and others came and requested us to withdraw resignations. I will speak to K Sudhakar Rao and then see what is to be done. After all, I have spent decades in the Congress," Nagaraj said.

Siddaramaiah also expressed hope that Chikballapur MLA Sudhakar will follow Nagraj in returning to the party fold.

"I couldn't talk to Sudhakar. I am hopeful that he would come back. Nagaraj and Sudhakar had taken the decision jointly. Nagaraj had decided to stay back in the party. After getting Sudhakar, they both will take back their resignation," Siddaramaiah said.

"We are trying to get in touch with everyone. When we are moving the vote of confidence, at that time most of the MLAs would come back. We are in touch with Ramalingareddy, " he said.

The dissident MLAs Ramalinga Reddy, a former state Home Minister, refused on comment on the political situation prevailing in the state.

"I have already told that I do not talk about any political issues till 15th of this month. I don't know which leader went to whose house. The Speaker has called on July 15 to meet him," he said.

Five more dissident legislators -- Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, N Nagaraju, Munirathna and Roshan Baig -- approached the Supreme Court seeking its direction to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to accept their "voluntarily" resignations and not proceed to disqualify them.

Karnataka unit BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has asked Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to prove his government's majority in the Assembly on Monday.

"The Chief Minister had said that he would not continue without seeking a trust vote. He should fulfill his commitment on Monday. We will wait till then," he said.

Yeddyurappa accepted that he was in contact with the rebel MLAs of Congress and JD(S) who are putting up at a hotel in Mumbai.

"They are all happy and I am in touch with them," he said when asked if he is in contact with the rebel MLAs.

He also met BJP MLAs, who are staying at the Ramada Hotel here, over lunch.

Independent MLAs R Shankar and H Nagesh, who took back their support from the coalition government on July 8, have written a letter to the Speaker asking him to arrange their seating in the opposition benches in the Assembly.