BENGALURU: 11 MLAs of the Congress-JDS coalition who are holed up in Mumbai on Sunday released fresh videos to ascertain that they were alive and kicking.
In a clear attempt to mock the coalition leaders raising questions of their safety on the floor of the House, rebel MLAs released videos insisting that they were abstaining from the session out of their free will.
"Great leaders of the coalition have raised questions about whether we are dead or alive. We are very much alive and happy. We are together and are even celebrating MTB Nagaraj's birthday," ST Somashekhar was seen claiming in the video.
Insisting that they resigned from their posts and chose to stay away from proceedings out of their own will, the MLAs said the lure of money and power had nothing to do with it.
"We have been deeply hurt. We are not here for money or power. We were hopeful that this coalition would deliver good governance but it did not," said Gopalaiah of the JDS.
"We resigned as MLAs to save democracy and to teach a lesson to this government. Resignations were based on ideology not for money. People who are here have crores of rupees" pointed out H Vishwanath.
The video clippings came on the day Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy appealed to the rebel MLAs to return and "expose the BJP".
Earlier on Sunday, Water resources minister DK Shivakumar raised eyebrows when he claimed that the JDS was willing to let go of the Chief Minister's chair.
"JDS leaders have conveyed that they want the coalition working and are willing to sacrifice anything. They said they are okay with any of us (Congress) becoming (Chief Minister). They have told the same to me, Siddaramaiah, Parameshwar and our high command. Yet we are confident that the government will continue," he said.
The same however was denied by KPCC Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao. The rebel MLAs, however, have reiterated that irrespective of who becomes Chief Minister, they have decided to stay away from the floor test.
"Instead of people who have worked for the Congress tirelessly, they have brought people from outside and made them ministers. Should we keep quiet looking at this? We will not come back to the assembly," said Muniratna, MLA, Rajarajeshwari Nagar.