Rebel Congress MLA MTB Nagaraj heads to Mumbai
Bengaluru, Jul 14: Efforts by coalition leaders to mollify rebel Congress MLA M T B Nagaraj seem to have failed as he has flown to Mumbai Sunday, according to sources.
Leaders of the Congress-JD(S) coalition held negotiations with Nagaraj on Saturday in a bid to woo him back to save the H D Kumaraswamy-led government in Karnataka that is on the brink of collapse.
The Hoskote MLA had maintained that he intended to take a final decision on the withdrawal of his resignation after talks with Chikkaballapura MLA K Sudhakar, as both had together submitted resignation to the Speaker on July 10.
According to the sources, Nagaraj is now on his way to Mumbai to join Sudhakar, who is said to be along with other MLAs who have quit and are camping there.
Visuals of Nagaraj boarding a chartered flight have also surfaced on local news channels.
Nagaraj, who was Housing Minister in the Kumaraswamy government before he resigned, however, maintained that he was still in the Congress party.
"Sudhakar has switched off his phone, and is not available for the last two days. After pacifying and convincing Sudhakar, I will try to bring him back. Because we both had resigned together, so we want to be united. I have informed this to Congress leaders," Nagaraj told reporters here before leaving his residence.
Stating that he was still in the Congress, he said leaders, including Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and CLP leader Siddaramaiah, have asked him to withdraw the resignation.
"I'm also trying for it (withdraw). Only thing is that I have to meet Sudhakar, I haven't met him. I will meet him, he should be somewhere," he said, adding "my intention is that we have to withdraw it (resignation) together."
After almost day-long negotiations on Saturday, it appeared that Congress had made some headway in pacifying Nagaraj, who had hinted that he might consider withdrawing his resignation, but fell short of making any final announcement.
A day after Kumaraswamy made a surprise announcement in the Assembly that he would seek a trust vote, marathon meetings were held by coalition leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Kumaraswamy and Minister D K Shivakumar, with Nagaraj on Saturday.
However, Nagaraj on his part maintained his stand that he will take any call on withdrawal only after talks with Sudhakar, as they both had decided to resign together.
The Hoskote MLA had even said he would also try to pacify Sudhakar and convince him to withdraw the resignation.
Responding to a question on his decision if he was unable to meet Sudhakar, Nagaraj said, "Then, what should be my decision, I will decide it tomorrow morning."
Asked what he would do if Sudhakar did not agree to withdraw his resignation, Nagaraj said, "I will think about it and decide."
Nagaraj is among the five rebel Congress MLAs, who had moved the Supreme Court on Saturday against the Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar not accepting their resignation.
MLAs Anand Singh, K Sudhakar, N Nagaraj (MTB), Munirathna and Roshan Baig have sought impleadment in the already pending application filed by the 10 other rebel MLAs on which hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The coalition government is on a sticky wicket with 16 MLAs 13 of the Congress and three of the JD(S) resigning their assembly membership. Besides, two independent legislators, who were made ministers recently to provide stability, have quit the cabinet.
The independents H Nagesh and R Shankar too have withdrawn support to the coalition government and are now supporting the BJP.
READ ALSO----"I will withdraw my resignation": MTB Nagaraj
The ruling coalition's strength in the House is 116 (Congress 78, JD(S) 37 and BSP one), besides the speaker.
With the support of the two independents, the opposition BJP has 107 MLAs in the 224-member House.
If the resignations of the 16 MLAs are accepted, the ruling coalition's tally will be reduced to 100. The speaker has a vote too.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
