Devanahalli legislator likely to withdraw his resignation

 Devanahalli MLA Pilla Munishamappa of the Janata Dal (S), who submitted his resignation to the Assembly Speaker in a huff on Thursday, is likely to reverse his decision. The change of heart came after party supremo H D Deve Gowda held discussions with Munishamappa later in the day.

Hurt by the way the party was treating him, Munishamappa submitted his resignation letter to Koliwad at the latter’s chambers in the Vidhana Soudha. He told reporters that his political foe in the constituency ‘Nisarga’ Narayanaswamy has been inducted into the JD(S) despite his resistance and, he was hurt by the development. Narayanaswamy had contested as an independent candidate from Devanahalli constituency, which is reserved for the SCs, in the 2013 Assembly polls.

According to sources in the JD(S), party state president H D Kumaraswamy recently inducted Narayanaswamy into the party and also assured him the ticket to contest from Devanahalli. Munishamappa, the sources said, was not even kept informed about the development. Munishamappa took it as a personal insult and decided to quit the party.

“Kumaraswamy is not even available on the phone when I want to discuss problems of my constituency with him. I have been sidelined in the party for the last four years,” Munishamappa said.

Later in the day, Munishamappa took ill for sometime when his supporters surrounded him insisting that he withdraw his resignation.  Koliwad said he will look into the resignation letter and take a decision whether to accept it.

However, things took a new turn after JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda, who arrived from New Delhi, headed directly to Munishamappa’s residence. He reportedly told the MLA that he would be the party candidate for the Assembly elections.

 According to one version doing the rounds, Munishamappa has stated the reasons for his quitting in the resignation letter. Rules stipulate that a resignation letter which specifies reasons can’t be accepted by the Speaker. However, Assembly secretariat sources said that Munishamappa’s letter is in order and it is matter of time before it is accepted. Munishamappa was not available for comments on the contents of his resignation letter. JD(S) has suspended eight MLAs for violating the party whip during the Rajya Sabha polls.