BENGALURU: The heightened political crisis in Karnataka showed no signs of easing with Congress and JD(S) leaders holding talks on Sunday to save the state government after the resignation of 13 lawmakers.

Ten of the 13 Congress-JD(S) MLAs, who submitted their resignations to the Speaker’s office on Saturday morning, were holed up at a private hotel in Mumbai, awaiting “orders” from the BJP high command.

According to the BJP insiders, the central leadership has deputed Union minister for railways Piyush Goyal, who hails from Maharashtra, to oversee the developments along with state general secretary Arvind Limbavali who has deep-rooted ABVP connections in Maharashtra.

It is said that Limbavali is directly coordinating with the Maharashtra BJP-led government to ensure that the rebel MLAs are kept together.

Earlier today, BJP Malleswaram MLA Dr C N Ashwathnarayan was seen with the rebel MLAs at the Mumbai hotel.

The BJP, however, continued to distance itself from the resignation crisis, maintaining that the rebel lawmakers resigned of their own volition.

Senior BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa said that the party is waiting for the Speaker to take a decision on the resignation of the MLAs.

"Let's wait and watch. Are we sanyasis (hermits)? After the resignation process is over and the speaker takes his decision, leaders of our party will discuss and decide," he said in response to a question whether the BJP was preparing to form the government.

Throughout the day, the rebel MLAs held meetings among themselves and refrained from venturing out of the hotel premises.

Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, irrigation minister DK Shivakumar held talks with the JD(S) senior leadership, including regional party patriarch HD Deve Gowda, to discuss ways of saving the coalition government in the state.

Shivakumar said the two parties are going to put their heads together and take a decision soon.

“A lot of Congress MLAs and even my BJP friends are not inclined towards fresh elections. However, it appears the BJP central leadership is inclined towards forcing a fresh election in the state,” he said.

The JD(S) has called a meeting of its legislators at the party head office in Bengaluru at 6pm with chief minister HD Kumaraswamy arriving in the city around the same time.

AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal held a meeting with senior Congressmen today, including Mallikarjun Kharge, B K Hariprasad and others to discuss a possible solution for the political crisis.

Rumours are also doing the rounds that Kharge is being mooted as the chief minister candidate as part of a compromise formula for the rebels to come back to the fold. The senior Congress leader has dismissed the speculations.

(With inputs from agencies)

