Karnataka Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav resigns

Bengaluru, March 4 (IANS) Karnataka's "rebel" Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav resigned from the state Assembly on Monday.

Jadhav, a two-time MLA from Chincholi constituency in Kalaburagi district, submitted his resignation to Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar without giving any explanation.

"Jadhav submitted his resignation letter to Kumar earlier in the day at the latter's house in Kolar town near Bengaluru," a party official told IANS here.

Jadhav is one of the four "rebel" party MLAs against whom Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah sought legal action last month for defying the party whip to attend the CLP meetings on January 18 and February 8 and participate in the 10-day budget session of the Assembly from February 6-15.

Although former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to the Speaker on February 11 to disqualify Jadhav along with three other rebels -- Ramesh Jarkiholi, B. Nagendra and Mahesh Kumatalli -- under the anti-defection law, the latter did not act on it, as they attended the budget session from February 13 till it adjourned sine die on February 15.

"The Congress has done everything it could with Jadhav. He was power hungry and has been dissenting against the party's leadership. He is an opportunist. We are disappointed with him," the party's state unit president Dinesh Gunu Rao told the media here following the resignation.

If Jadhav's resignation is accepted, the ruling ally's strength in the Assembly will come down to 78, excluding the Speaker, who got elected on a Congress ticket.

In the 225-member House, including one nominated, the Congress currently has 80 members, its ruling ally Janata Dal-Secular 37, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party 104, one independent, and one each from the BSP and regional outfit KPJP.