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BENGALURU: In a last-ditch effort to save the tottering coalition government, top leaders of the Congress and the JD(S) on Sunday proposed replacing chief minister HD Kumaraswamy with someone from the Congress to placate the dissidents. However, the rebel MLAs flatly turned the offer down, insisting that there is no question of going back on their decision to resign.

With the coalition running out of options to persuade the rebels to return to the fold, Congress and JD(S) leaders put the bargain of changing the CM on the table, as many rebels had claimed Kumaraswamy’s style of functioning and interference from his brother and PWD minister HD Revanna were the reasons they resigned from the assembly. They held the two responsible for the ongoing crisis.

Water resources minister DK Shivakumar told reporters on Sunday, “The JD(S) has agreed to sacrifice the CM’s post if such a move would save the government from falling. The JD(S) has also given a free hand to the Congress to choose the new CM among Siddaramaiah , G Parameshwara and myself,” Shivakumar said, adding that efforts were on to persuade the rebels to return.

But minutes after Shivakumar made the announcement, rebel MLAs stated that they were not going to budge.

“Our self-respect has been hurt and there is no question of going back on our decision to resign even if Siddaramaiah is made the CM,” rebel legislator Byrathi Basavaraj, a staunch follower of Siddaramaiah until recently, said in the video released from Mumbai, where they have been lodged.

The rebels also dismissed Shivakumar’s charges that they are being held hostage and at gunpoint. “We are not in captivity as some Congress MLAs are claiming. We are moving around freely and we are lodged here of our own free will,” said Yeshwantpur MLA ST Somashekhar.

The rebels also dismissed charges that they were induced to switch sides for money and power. “By the grace of God we are all financially well off. We are not ones to switch sides for money,” said legislator BC Patil.

Elsewhere, Kalaburagi MP Umesh Jadhav, the first Congress MLA to resign and join the BJP — he switched sides prior to the Lok Sabha elections — speaking in support of the rebels, said Congress leaders had said he too was “purchased” by the BJP when he had switched sides and the accusations were nothing new. Jadhav said he met the rebels in Mumbai and assured them that they would get “justice” soon.

