Present sir! Karnataka Congress rebel MLAs return home, say it was all just miscommunication

It was ghar wapsi for Karnataka rebel MLAs. Bringing the long-standing crisis in Karnataka to rest, five rebel MLAs - four from Congress and one from the Janata Dal-Secular returned to Bengaluru late Tuesday night.

A political war has been brewing in Karnataka over charges of horse-trading by the opposing Bharatiya Janata Party.

At least three dissenting MLAs have spoken to media, laying rest to news of cracks in the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka. They all blamed miscommunication for differences and said minor issues in respective parties will be dealt with internally.

Congress had sought action against four absentee MLAs -- Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, B Nagendra and Mahesh Kumatalli for skipping several party meetings as well as the budget session of the Karnataka assembly.

Speaking to media, JD(S) leader Narayan Gowda said he was missing from action due to ill-health. He said he can break away 10 BJP MLAs if he wants to. "BJP can't and never purchase me. If I want I can bring 10 BJP MLAs. I was admitted in hospital after food poisoning, I have the hospital bills. There will be some internal issues inside the party and we'll clear it as usual" Narayan Gowda said.

A Congress MLA, Umesh Jadhav, said he was back as he would not protest against the word of senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge, "I had small issues with party leaders in my constituency. I will discuss those issues separately. Mallikarjun Kharge is a big leader, I can’t speak anything against them. I'll speak at the appropriate time. I have come to attend the budget session."

Another Congress MLA, Mahesh Kumathalli sang the same tune, saying "I have small issues with my party leaders, there was some miscommunication. I was not satisfied with some of the party decisions. As this is a budget session, I have come back."

Karnataka Congress meanwhile, assumed a circumspect stance as its MLAs returned to its fold. Irrigation minister DK Shivakumar said, " I have already said that they have been elected in the Congress party and living in the Congress party for two decades, I think some good sense has prevailed. We have a report that everyone is back. Let us see their actions."

Cabinet minister Zameer Ahmed Khan said the fate of the rebel MLAs lies with the party high command, "BJP led them astray from their path, now they have realised that the path they had chosen was a wrong one and that they will have to suffer on that path. They have now returned home. Now the party high command will decide, the decision to disqualify them has been taken in the CLP meeting. We have given a letter to the Governor already."

Nataka continues in Karnataka

The homecoming of the rebel MLAs, however, has not quelled the political crisis in Karnataka. Chaos continued on Wednesday in the state assembly over the probe into an audio tape showing BJP state chief BS Yeddyurappa purportedly luring a JD(S) MLA to topple the Congress-JDS government.

The Karnataka government, headed by HD Kumaraswamy has ordered a SIT investigation into the audio tape.

The opposition is protesting the formation of a SIT, demanding a house committee or judicial enquiry into the matter. They also said that the probe cannot be conducted by an agency that is under the Chief Minister as he too was a party in the case.

BS Yeddyurappa expressed apprehensions about the SIT as it comes under the Chief Minister and said he was firm on his stand to quit politics if it was proved he was present during conversations between the persons in the audio on a "Rs 50 crore offer to book" the Speaker, as alleged by HD Kumaraswamy.

On Tuesday, Karnataka assembly speaker Ramesh Kumar compared himself to a rape survivor having to undergo repeated questioning as he referred to repeated charges against him being part of the controversial audio tapes.