Karnataka crisis live updates: We have no objection to no-confidence motion, says BS Yeddyurappa

The BJP will press Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy to seek trust vote in the assembly on Monday, state BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa said on Saturday. The former chief minister asserted that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government has lost majority and its collapse was imminent

Attempts are on to woo the rebel Congress MLAs, who have resigned from the Assembly, back into the party fold and make them withdraw their resignations. One of the rebel Congress MLAs M T B Nagaraj, who had resigned as an MLA, on Saturday met with senior Congress leader Siddaramiah. The meeting between the two at the former chief minister's residence came hours after Nagaraj held talks with Congress leader D K Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara.

Rebel Congress MLA MTB Nagaraj on Saturday hinted at reconsidering his resignation after holding a meeting with party leader DK Shivakumar. "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 Congress," Congress MLA and state minister MTB Nagaraj said after a meeting at his residence.

Rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, who are staying at a hotel here, left for Shirdi on Saturday morning for darshan at the famous Sai temple.

Dissident Congress and JD(S) legislators, who are currently holed up in a hotel in Mumbai, have indicated that they will not attend the assembly session, although chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has called for a trust vote. The dissidents claim that since they have already resigned and have appeared before speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Thursday evening, they no longer are members of the House.

Heading a troubled coalition government seemingly counting its days, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy pulled off a surprise on Friday by declaring that he would seek a trust vote on the floor of the House. The CM’s announcement on the first day of the monsoon session came soon after Supreme Court handed him a breather, by asking the speaker to maintain status quo till Tuesday (July 16) on the resignations of the 10 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, and, the plea to disqualify them for defying party directions.

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned till Tuesday twin proceedings — by 10 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs seeking acceptance of their resignations and disqualification proceedings initiated against them for defying party directions — to be conducted by speaker KR Ramesh Kumar.