Senior leaders from both Congress and JD(S), the ruling coalition in Karnataka, continue firefighting the rebellion which has pushed the state government to the brink of collapse.
Even though all 21 Congress ministers resigned from their respective portfolios on Monday, followed by a similar exercise by their JD(S) colleagues, in a last-ditch attempt to save the government, the situation appeared to have all but slipped through their fingers.
Despite HD Kumaraswamy's repeated assurances that the government would survive, the crisis deepened with two Ministers and Independent MLAs -- H Nagesh and R Shankar -- resigning from the cabinet and withdrawing their support to the coalition.
Here are all the live updates:
6:12PM: 12 rebel MLAs from Karnataka return to Mumbai from Satara in western Maharashtra, reports news agency PTI.
5:30PM: Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy has suggested JD(S) MLAs to be at Prestige Golfshire Club in Bengaluru for at least 4 days, reports news agency ANI.
3:08 PM: Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and BK Hariprasad will travel to Bengaluru to take control of the situation and save the coalition government in the state.
"The two leaders will talk to party MLAs and leaders and try to defuse the crisis. They will also hold talks with the leaders of Janata Dal-Secular," sources told ANI.
2:46 PM: Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar says that he has written to the Governor that none of the rebel MLAs has met him.
The Governor has expressed confidence that I'll uphold constitutional norms. "Out of 13 resignations, 8 are not according to law. I've given them time to present themselves before me," he said.
2:19 PM: Meanwhile, BJP supporters are demanding Kumaraswamy resign as chief minister of the state.
2:12 PM: Initially, we tried once, but afterwards we kept quiet, BJP MP Sadanand Gowda said on Tuesday. "Congress and JDS MLAs don't have faith in their own leaders and government. We are not behind any MLAs from Congress or JDS," he told ANI
1:29 PM: JD(S) leader Narayan Gowda, who is currently in Mumbai, says, "We've resigned from the post of MLA due to the lack of development in the state.
"Karnataka CM travelled abroad without any consultation with MLAs; no work was progressing in the state. We will stay here for 2 days and then we will return," he said.
12:55PM: Congress leader Roshan Baig has resigned as MLA
12:54PM:
12:53PM: This time not only state BJP wing but also national level leaders like Amit Shah & PM Modi are involved. On their direction efforts have been put to destabilise govt. It's against democracy and people's mandate. They're offering money, position, ministership, alleges Siddaramaiah
12:40 PM: Congress MPs have staged a walkout protesting the political situation in Karnataka. The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned after a huge uproar from Congress parliamentarians.
12:39 PM: Eleven rebel Congress MLAs in Karnataka, who resigned from their Assembly seats, skipped the party's legislature meeting here on Tuesday, an official was quoted as saying by IANS.
"None of the rebel legislators turned up for the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting despite giving them a notice on July 7 to be present at it in the Vidhan Soudha (state Secretariat)," party spokesman Ravi Gowda told IANS here.
12:35 PM: Congress will seek the disqualification of MLAs who have resigned, says CLP leader Siddaramaiah.
11:54 AM: When asked if resignations of rebel MLAs had been accepted, Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar says he will follow the law and there is no time frame there. "I have to behave responsibly. The clause says if the Speaker is convinced that the resignations are voluntary and genuine, he can accept otherwise... I don't know, I am not a well-read man."
11:07 AM: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi says it is in their (Congress) nature to blame anybody for their failure. "Their MLAs have submitted their resignations to the governor. We are monitoring the situation and will decide accordingly," ANI quoted him as saying.
10:52 AM: Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar says he is acting as per the Constitution. "No MLA has sought an appointment with me. If anyone wants to meet me, I will be available in my office," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
10:49 AM: Karnataka Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao says he is confident that the government will survive and will stay, according to ANI.
9:49 AM: Karnataka Congress MLAs, including former CM Siddaramaiah, have arrived for Legislature party meeting in Bengaluru.
8:57 AM: Rebel Karnataka Congress MLAs, who were staying in Mumbai after submitting their resignation to the speaker's office, had planned to shift to Pune. Now, news agency ANI reports, they are lodged at an undisclosed location in Mumbai.
8:53 AM: BJP leaders Murugesh Nirani, Umesh Katti, JC Madhuswamy and K Ratna Prabha arrive at BS Yeddyurappa's residence.
8:28 AM: Meanwhile, the BJP could today start a state-wide protest against chief minister HD Kumaraswamy for holding on to the top post despite falling short of the required numbers.
8:18 AM: BJP leader Ram Madhav had on Monday dismissed charges that the BJP engineered defections in Karnataka leaving the Congress-JD(S) government struggling to survive, but said they are keeping a watch on the developments in the southern state.
8:08 AM: The Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly will decide on resignations of legislators who quit the assembly and withdrew their support from the ruling coalition.
7:43 AM: Last night, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy met Karnataka Congress In-charge, K.C Venugopal at the Kumara Krupa Guest House, in Bengaluru.
