Karnataka coalition edgy as rebel MLAs skip session

Bengaluru: The coalition government was edgy on the opening day of the budget session of legislature as five Congress legislators skipped the Governor’s address despite a whip issued by Siddaramaiah, leader of Congress legislature party (CLP). This prompted the former chief minister to talk tough and warn legislators of harsh action in case they stay away from another meeting of the legislature party scheduled for Friday, the day when chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy would present his second budget.

On Wednesday, four rebel legislators — former minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, Dr Umesh Jadhav, Mahesh Kumtahalli, and B. Nagendra — did not attend the session.

Ditto with J.N. Ganesh, who has remained at large from the day he was involved in a brawl with former minister Anand Singh, and C.S. Shivalli, who was among legislators wooed by the Bharatiya Janata Party, but who did not turn up as he was hospitalized.

Mr Jarkiholi and Mr Nagendra, however, informed Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar in advance that they would not be in a position to attend the budget session for personal reasons. Mr Ganesh stayed away from the proceedings fearing his arrest in the case of assault on Mr Anand Singh.

Another Congress legislator, B.C. Patil, too, skipped the proceedings but sources in the party explained that he was busy with his daughter’s wedding.