Resort politics is back in Karnataka. All three main parties, the ruling Congress and JD(S) and the opposition BJP, have moved their legislators into resorts and luxury hotels to keep them together as the crisis set off by the resignations of coalition MLAs drags on.

Where the MLAs are staying

• JD(S): the party has chosen a resort on the foothills of Nandi Hill on the outskirts of the city, spread over 275 acres and overlooking a lake. More than 30 of its MLAs have been there for three days. A senior JD(S) functionary said 34 rooms had been booked and that, apart from the chief minister and a few others, about 30 MLAs were staying there.
• Congress: its MLAs have been put up in a star hotel in the city, party sources said.
• BJP: its legislators are split between a resort near Yelahanka and a luxury hotel.

Why the parties are guarding their flock

The 13-month-old coalition government is fighting for survival after 16 of its legislators quit their assembly seats. Several of the rebels have been in a Mumbai hotel since they quit last Saturday, and the Congress and JD(S) want to stop any further loss of numbers. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s statement in the assembly on July 12 that he would ask for a trust vote, and expected to win it, has made the parties even more determined to hold on to their MLAs.

BJP sources said the party was worried the ruling side might try to lure away its legislators, although senior Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah had ruled out any such attempt on July 12. BJP spokesperson S Prakash said the coalition was trying to buy time to keep the government going even though it knew its end had come, adding that he doubted its calculations would work.

Background

This is not the first time this year that MLAs have been moved to resorts. In January, Congress and BJP legislators were shifted to avoid poaching after two independent MLAs withdrew support from the government. The coalition has faced dissent from within since last year, and its troubles grew after its poor showing in the Lok Sabha election.

What happened next

The Kumaraswamy government fell in July 2019, and B. S. Yeddyurappa returned as Chief Minister.

See also: Janata Dal (Secular), Indian National Congress.

Originally published on 13 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.

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