Bangalore: The Opposition Congress suffered another setback today when one of its legislator resigned from his Karnataka Assembly membership, making him the second from the party to do so in two days.
Narayanaswamy, who represented Bangarpet in Kolar district, yesterday submitted his resignation, which was accepted today by the assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah, secretariat sources said. He is the third from the opposition parties to resign from the assembly in a week’s time.
SV Ramachandra, who represented Congress Jagalur constituency yesterday quit the Karnataka assembly, while on last Friday JD (S) MLA from Chennapatna M C Ashwath resigned from the house.
Last evening, apprehending desertion of some of their legislators to the Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress leaders and MLAs laid siege to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's residence and asked the ruling party not to indulge in "Operation Lotus" which it alleged was directed at poaching opposition MLAs to remain in power.
The Congress strength has now come down to 71 from 73 and that of the JD (S) to 27 from 28 in the 224-member assembly with the BJP having 106 members including the Speaker.
Eleven rebel BJP MLAs and five independents, who withdrew support to the first ever saffron government in the south, have been disqualified from the assembly membership, an issue which is now before the High Court. PTI