Bengaluru: Fighting to save the coalition government in Karnataka, the Congress on Tuesday sought the assembly Speaker's intervention in disqualifying its rebel legislators and accused the BJP of using money power to lure its members after another MLA quit the party.

In a counter-offensive after 13 MLAs resigned Saturday dealing a blow to the 13-month-old government, a delegation of Congress leaders met Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar and submitted the petition seeking, under the anti-defection law, disqualification of the rebel legislators in line with the decision taken at a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) Tuesday. After meeting the speaker, state Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao said according to the CLP decision, they submitted the petition seeking action against the MLAs "who have resigned and have joined hands with the BJP to bring down the government". The anti-defection law applies to them, he claimed, adding further action will be taken by the Speaker. "I hope that they will be disqualified to save democracy."