Kumaraswamy likely to step down to save the coalition government In Karnataka

Bengaluru: As a last minute effort to save the 13-month-old  JDS-Congress coalition, Karnataka, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is  likely to step down and pave way for Senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna  Kharge to take the mantle.

According to highly placed sources in  the Congress, a suggestion was given by the former Prime Minister and  JDS National President H D Deve Gowda to the Congress supremo Sonia  Gandhi, to tide over the situation following resignation of as many as 13 MLAs to their membership in the Assembly.

Deve Gowda, who is  having a good rapport with the Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, contacted  her last night and reportedly put the proposal and assured that his  party will extend support to Kharge and keep the BJP once again away  from occupying the seat of power.

According to sources, Sonia  Gandhi, who had convened a meeting of the core-group of the AICC last  night, discussed about the new proposal put forward by Gowda and decided  to send Mallikarjuna Kharge to Karnataka to take the reigns of the  party and save the Coalition set-up in Karnataka.

Kharge, who had  till recently maintained silence from the State Politics plunged into action and reportedly made contact with some of the disgruntled MLAs who  had resigned and brought the JDS-Congress coalition government on the  brink of collapse in the State.Speaking to newsmen here on  Sunday, Kharge said that "Speaker K N Ramesh Kumar is yet to accept the  resignations of the MLAs, and many of them are likely to change their  decisions".

Stating that he had spoken to several rebel MLAs, who  have pushed the party to worst situations, are not willing to leave the  Congress, he said that "Congress party will issue whip to all the MLAs  to take part in the Assembly Session beginning from July 12".

With  Kharge emerging as new power center in Karnataka, already several  Congress MLAs are thronging to his residence and extending their support  to the Congress leader, who was defeated in the just concluded Lok  Sabha elections from his traditional seat Kalaburagi.

"If Kharge  emerged as the new leader to take the mantle of the State, even a few of  the BJP MLAs from the Hyderabad-Karnataka region may join the Congress"  a top Congress leader told UNI.

The AICC General Secretary and  party incharge for Karnataka K C Venugopal, who is holding parleys with  the senior Congress leaders to tide over the political situation, is  also likely to meet Deve Gowda and the Chief Minister tonight.Deve  Gowda, recently had disclosed that when the proposal had come in 2018  to form coalition government, he had suggested Kharge's name for the  Chief Minister post.(UNI)