BENGALURU: If resignation to vacate cabinet berths is what it takes to stabilise the coalition government, then they will resign en masse is what JDS ministers told Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday in the legislative party meeting.
At a time when Congress is marred with infighting, the JDS seems to have decided to set an example with its approach to the crisis. Even though it is unlikely that Kumaraswamy will drop any of his ministers, their offer comes as a much-needed comfort to the party that is recovering from the poll drubbing.
With more dissenting leaders expressing disappointment in the open, ministers of the JDS have expressed their willingness to go to any extent to save the coalition. Kumaraswamy has been given a free hand to rejig the entire constitution of cabinet berths in the JDS quota if need be or even transfer berths to the Congress.
“All legislators have pledged their support to the continuation of the coalition government. Ministers are willing to resign en masse to allow Kumaraswamy to restructure the cabinet if required,” said a JDS source from the meeting.
Meanwhile, legislators of the JDS have also requested their state president H Vishwanath to withdraw his resignation. “There is already a crisis and his resignation will only worsen the situation,” was the stance of the JDLP according to party insiders.
While the media was stalled at least 100 metres away from Kumaraswamy’s residence, VIP movement in a residential area like JP Nagar, especially at peak traffic hours, caused massive inconvenience to commuters and residents of the neighbourhood. Police had cordoned off the entry and exit points on all roads leading to Kumaraswamy’s house allowing very limited vehicular movement causing traffic hold-ups in the neighbourhood.
JDS national president HD Deve Gowda headed the meeting where state president Vishwanath, HD Kumaraswamy, HD Revanna, Bandeppa Kashempur, GT Deve Gowda, CS Puttaraju and other legislators were present at the meeting. However, senior leader Basavraj Horatti’s absence was conspicuous.