16 MLAs to decide
■ Continued from Page 1 blow to the Congress as it rejected a writ petition filed by Congress’ Rajya Sabha nominee and former chief minister Digvijay Singh who had sought access to the 16 rebel party MLAs.
Earlier, high drama was seen in Bengaluru as several senior MP Congress leaders, including Mr Singh, held a staged sit-in before the resort where the 16 MLAs were staying, demanding access to them. The police deployed at the resort stopped them from storming the resort and later detained them. The Congress leaders, who included six ministers of the Kamal Nath government, were later released.
The 16 legislators promptly made a plea to the Karnataka directorgeneral of police in writing, saying they did not want to meet the Congress leaders of Madhya Pradesh and sought protection from them. They also released videos which went viral on the social media to make their stand clear on the matter.
In another development, chief minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday dropped hints that he might visit Bengaluru to meet the 16 MLAs if needed.
Mr Nath regretted that he had called Union home minister Amit Shah and Karnataka chief minister
B.S. Yeddyurappa on the phone seeking their intervention to secure the release of the 16 Congress MLAs, but did not get any response from them.
He reiterated his assertion that he was not going to face a floor test to prove his majority since he had on several occasions in the last 15 months had won the trust vote in one form or another.
He dared the BJP to move a no-confidence motion against him in the House to dislodge his government from power.
Former chief minister and BJP vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan, however, took a jibe at him for shying away from facing a floor test as ordered by the governor, “reminding” him that his government had been reduced to minority.
In another development, the BJP on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission alleging an attempt by Mr Singh to influence the 16 MLAs ahead of the March 26 biennial Rajya Sabha elections in the state.
Interestingly, governor Lalji Tandon on Wednesday snubbed Assembly Speaker N.P. Prajapati for seeking his intervention in securing the release of the 16 rebel Congress MLAs, reminding him that it was the job of the executive (to free the legislators).