Bangalore: JDS Issues Whip to MLAs to Vote against BJP
Vicky Nanjappa/Rediff
Bangalore, Nov 19: The BJP-led government in Karnataka received a major jolt on Monday when its coalition partner -- Janata Dal Secular -- issued a whip to vote against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in the state legislative assembly.
Yeddyurappa is set to take the floor test at the assembly later in the day.
At the just-concluded meeting of the JDS legislature party, party supremo H D Deve Gowda directed all legislators to vote against Yeddyurappa.
The BJP needs at least 113 votes to form a government. The JDS stated that the whip had been issued as the BJP failed to comply with the conditions set out by the party.
The JDS had authorized both Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy to take a final decision in this regard. Shortly after the meeting, all JDS legislators left for the Vidhan Soudha, where a special session of the legislative assembly is being convened.
Yeddyurappa and other BJP legislators already reached the assembly, where the session has just commenced.
If the JDS votes against Yeddyurappa, he will fall short of majority by 34 votes. If all legislators vote in favour of Yeddyurappa, then he will have the support of 129 legislators in the House.
At the JDS meeting, many legislators opposed the decision to vote against the BJP. Party sources said that despite expressing their displeasure they had no option but to abide by the whip lest they would have to face disqualification.
Even as the whip was issued, the BJP continues to remain confident that they will sail through this crisis. BJP state chief Sadananda Gowda said there should be no problem for them to prove their majority. He also said that it was too early to comment whether B S Yeddyurappa would tender his resignation.
More news on Karnataka's political drama
We can't give BJP a blank cheque: JD-S
IANS
New Delhi: As the Karnataka government looked set to fall only a week after the BJP saw its first chief minister in the south being sworn in, the rhetoric escalated in the capital with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) saying it could not give its coalition partner a "blank cheque".
"If the BJP leadership here in Delhi wants the JD-S to give them a blank cheque to run the government whichever way they want, then we certainly cannot do that," party general secretary and spokesperson Kunwar Danish Ali said amid indications from Bangalore that the BJP's chief minister B S Yeddyurappa would quit after the JD-S decided not to support it in a trust vote.
Ali dismissed talk about his party's now-on-now-off dalliance with the BJP and said: "Aap karen to raaslila, hum karen to character dhila (You compare your acts to Lord Krishna, while describing us as people with loose character)."
He reminded the BJP: "If we are betrayers, if we are liars, then why did you come back to us to form a government with our support? Doesn't this expose your lust for power?"
He admitted that his party had been forced into supporting the BJP-led government for fear of a split in his party: "True, we have to save our party from attempts by bigger parties to split our party. But that does not mean we can give a blank cheque."
JD-S president and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda had sent a letter to BJP chief Rajnath Singh on Nov 1, listing 12 demands for supporting the state government.
It included objection to the BJP proposal to induct in the state cabinet BJP legislator Sriramulu, a former minister in the JD-S government who had lodged a police complaint against chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and charged him with attempt to murder.
The JD-S also sought a BJP-JD-S coordination committee to decide on allocation of portfolios to the ministers, leaving the decision of who would be deputy chief minister entirely to the JD-S.
Ali, considered a confidant of Deve Gowda, said his leader's first preference was to secure the dissolution of the assembly and go for mid-term elections.
"Way back on October 24 we gave a letter to the governor to dissolve the assembly. And we have not taken back that letter till today," he said.
Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister Nov 12. Governor Rameshwar Thakur directed him to prove his majority before Nov 20.
Yediyurappa likely to resign ?
News Locale
Even before the week-old BJP government in Karnataka headed by B S Yediyurappa could settle down to its task, it is all set to collapse as its ally JD(S) has made up mind to vote against it during the decisive trust vote in the state Assembly on Monday.
While the BJP-JD(S) coalition has always been facing rough weathers ever since it came to power 20 months ago under the leadership of JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy, fresh problems came up today before the Assembly meet as the JD(S) Legislature Party decided to vote against the confidence motion on the pretext that the BJP had refused to sign a power-sharing deal in the form of an MoU given by party supreme H D Deve Gowda.
In fact, JD(S) has issued whip against its MLAs not to support BJP Chief Minister in Karnataka widening the rift between the two parties. Confirming this, former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader Kumaraswamy said that his party has decided to vote against the new BJP government in Karnataka. On the other hand, JD(S) spokesman Y S V Dutta said that by refusing to sign the MoU, the BJP leaders are trying to take them for granted and they would not tolerate this under any circumstance.
Although the BJP government requires the support of JD(S) as the saffron party has only 79 members in the 224-member state legislature, reacting to the developments, BJP president Rajnath Singh.said that Yediyurappa would resign if the JD(S) withdraws support to the BJP-led government. Meanwhile, the Karnataka unit of the BJP is likely to meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur to resolve the crisis, as both sides have ruled out resumption of talks after a meeting between Yediyurappa and Kumaraswamy in Bangalore on Sunday.
JD(S), which has 58 MLAs in the house, has stuck to its demand that BJP accept its 12-point MoU put forward by party supremo H D Deve Gowda and the demand for allocation of important portfolios to it while the saffron party rejected them.
The JD(S) headed by former Prime Minister Devegowda and his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has 58 members in the House. Meanwhile, the government requires support of 112 MLAs to win the trust vote, Opposition Congress has 64 members, JD(U) 5, Independents 13, Vatal Paksha, Kannada Nadu, CPI(M) and RPA one each besides the Speaker.
Cartoons from Harini's archives of October-November 2007
BJP will not accept any JD(S) demand, asserts Rajnath
UNI
BJP chief Rajnath Singh lashed out at the coalition partner saying it has "betrayed us" again. "It's a blot on democracy. The BJP will not surrender at any cost. We are ready to go to the people and face election...''
The BJP today directed its Karnataka unit not to accept any demands or conditions set by JD(S) to support the party government in the southern state.
The directive was communicated to Karnataka BJP, asking it to turn down the 12-point charter of demands by the JD(S) in return for
its support to the B S Yeddyurappa government, party president Rajnath Singh said here.
He said the change in JD(S)' stance was nothing short of "betrayal".
"When the party was on the verge of a breakdown it had approached the BJP to form the government in Karnataka. When we were not willing to believe them, they persisted that their support would be unconditional...but changed their stance once they recouped,'' he charged.
He asserted that the BJP, under no circumstances, will bow down to the demands of JD(S).
BJP Chief Rajnath Singh lashed out at the coalition partner saying it has "betrayed us" again. "It's a blot on democracy. The BJP will not surrender at any cost. We are ready to go to the people and face election. Any decision on resignation will be taken by the party's state Unit. Party leader Yashwant Sinha is already there," Rajnath Singh said in New Delhi.
"It is the worst form of coalition politics," he added.
Reacting to the allegations that the BJP was trying to break the JD(S), Mr Singh said it was just an excuse and the party was on the verge of a breakdown on its own. ''That is the reason that their MLAs have given individual affidavits before the Governor, pledging support to the BJP.''
"We will go before the people and seek a fresh mandate. We will not be cowed down by such blackmails,'' he said.
The B S Yeddyurappa government is facing a vote of confidence in the Karnataka Assembly today and even though the BJP is the single largest party in the House it could not prove majority sans JD(S) support.
The JDS Legislature Party, which met this morning in Bangalore, decided to vote against the confidence motion saying hat the BJP has refused to sign a power-sharing deal in the form of an MoU.
The JD(S) announcement was received with dejection by the BJP in Delhi.
The See-saw of Karnataka Power Politics !
- Bangalore: JDS Keeps Coalition Partner BJP on Tenterhooks
- Bangalore: BJP Divided House over Ministerial Berths - Yedyurappa Tensed
- Bangalore: BS Yeddyurappa Sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister
- Bangalore: BJP's First Government in South on Nov 12
- Governor Rameshwar Thakur Briefs Home Minister about State
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- Bangalore: BJP Hits out at PM on Karnataka Issue
- Bangalore: BJP-JDS Set Deadline for Governor
- Bangalore: Governor Keeps BJP, JD (S) on Tenterhooks
- Bangalore: BJP-JDS Combine Parades MLAs before Karnataka Governor
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- New Delhi: Cabinet Approves President's Rule in Karnataka
- Bangalore: CM Quits, Governor Recommends Dissolution of House
- Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister to Resign on Oct 8 Evening
- Mangalore: BJP in Low Spirits, Congress Buoyant over Coalition Break-up
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Forwards BJP Ministers' Resignations to Governor
- BJP Terms it 'Betrayal', Withdraws Support to JD(S) in Karnataka
- Karnataka: 'No Power Hand-over' - JD(S)' Final Word to BJP
- Karnataka: Astrologers Predict Snap Polls
- Bangalore: BJP MLAs Want Party to Withdraw Support to Coalition
- Bangalore: Cong may offer Outside Support to JD(S) if BJP Pulls out
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Convenes Cabinet Meet on Friday, Oct 5
- Coalition Govt: Clear Picture will Emerge on Oct 5: Deve Gowda
- Bangalore: BJP Ministers' Mass Resignations and after
- Bangalore: Yediyurappa, BJP Ministers Resign en Masse
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Refuses to Resign, Rebuffs BJP
- Bangalore: State's JD(S)-BJP Coalition Govt in Doldrums
- Bantwal: Yediyurappa not Fit to be a Chief Minister - Bondala
- BJP not to Allow Kumaraswamy to Continue as CM
- Allow Kumaraswamy to Continue as CM: Deve Gowda
- Bangalore: JD (S) Leads in Civic Polls in State
- Is Yediyurappa Fit to be CM? - Deve Gowda
- New Delhi: Yediyurappa will Take over as CM of Karnataka - BJP
- Bangalore: Karnataka T20: Coalition in Last-over Crisis
- Mangalore: Deve Gowda Behaving Irresponsibly - Poojary
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Says He will Quit on Oct 3
- Udupi: Gowda Confused over Power Transfer, Says Bangarappa
- Mangalore: 'Mine-owners' Decision Key to JDS-BJP Power
- Transfer of Power to BJP in People's Hands - JD(S) President
- Power Transfer: Gowda's Final Game Plan to Retain Son as CM
- Power Transfer: Terrible Past, Tense Future Haunts Gowda
- Handing over Power - Deve Gowda & Co Getting Ready to Shatter BJP's Dreams?
- State CM Can't Decide Power Transfer to BJP on his Own: JD(S)
- Mangalore: 'Power Transfer in State would be Smooth and in Time', Say CM, DyCM