Rebel Karnataka MLA Shivaram Hebbar says wont support Siddaramaiah anymore

With the Congress-JD(S) coalition government collapsing in Karnataka, rebel MLAs Shivaram Hebbar, who returned to his constituency of Yellapur on Thursday said they will no more support senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah.

"We were followers of Siddaramaiah but not anymore. After the way he behaved during the entire political crisis in Karnataka we decided that we will not support him anymore," said Hebbar while addressing the media.

"We were staying in Mumbai but now we have returned and we won't go back there. We will wait for speaker's order and then decide the further step to be taken," Hebbar added.

Shivaram was one of the 15 rebel MLAs who had withdrawn his support to the government, which led to the recent political uproar in Karnataka.

Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Thursday said that he is still looking into the resignations submitted by rebel MLAs belonging to Congress and JD(S).

"I cannot discuss the judicial proceedings with the media but I am still going through the resignations. I respect the Supreme Court very much. They have given me the discretion and I will live up to their expectations," he said.

Answering a question on the criteria under which the resignations will be accepted, the Speaker said that it is all laid down in the law and accordingly the decision will be taken.

"I don't know. The trust vote has been put (to vote) and with the rest, I have nothing to do with it," he said on senior Karnataka BJP leaders meeting Home Minister Amit Shah today in the national capital.

A Karnataka BJP delegation met with Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to discuss the future course of action in Karnataka. Among those present at the meeting were Jagadish Shettar, Basavaraj Bommai, Arvind Limbavali and J C Madhuswamy.

Speaking to before going for the meeting, senior BJP leader Aravind Limbavali said, "We are here to take guidance from the central leadership for the formation of the new government. We will discuss the strategies and an action plan."

The Congress-JD(S) coalition government fell on Tuesday as it lost the trust vote in the Assembly. Following the defeat, Kumaraswamy submitted his resignation to Governor Vajubhai Vala at Raj Bhavan, along with his cabinet ministers.

The defeat marked the end of an uneasy coalition that was formed after the assembly polls on May 23, 2018, which returned a hung verdict after three main parties in the state- Congress, BJP and the JD (S) contested against each other in the polls.

( With inputs from ANI )