Two Congress MLAs resign from Karnataka Assembly

 In a blow to the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in Karnataka, two Congress legislators, including rebel MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi, on Monday sent in their resignations from the state Assembly.

In his hand-written letter in Kannada, faxed to the office of Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar, Jarkiholi complained his party had "ignored" his seniority after dropping from the cabinet last year.

"I have resigned as Gokak legislator for being ignored by the party and the coalition government," he said. 

His resignation came came within hours of party legislator Anand Singh quitting the house to protest the Congress-JD-S coalition government's plans to sell over 3,667 acres in Ballari to JSW Steel Ltd.

"I have submitted my resignation letter to Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar at his residence, as I am unhappy with the coalition government's decision to sell the land to Jindal steel firm," Singh, who represents the Vijayanagar assembly constituency in Ballari, told reporters here. IANS