The Hindu

Bangalore, Jul 24: It is perhaps the first time in the history of parliamentary democracy in Karnataka that five members of the Lok Sabha have either abstained from a crucial confidence vote or violated the whip of their respective parties. One of the five —D.C. Srikantappa (Chikmagalur) — has been maintaining poor health.

Four of the five MPs belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party, while the other is from the Janata Dal (S).

Janata Dal (S) MP, M. Shivanna, who had stayed put with party president H.D. Deve Gowda for most part of the last three days and who even travelled with him to Parliament on Tuesday, told The Hindu that “I did what my conscience dictated.”

Mr. Shivanna said he had voted for the Government because the country needed nuclear energy. “The party is free to take any action against me,” he said.

Mr. Shivanna said that the Janata Dal (S) had an opportunity to make a Dalit representative (himself) a Union Minister, but it did not do it. It was not only his desire, but the wish of the people of the most backward Chamarajanagar parliamentary constituency.

Udupi MP Manorama Madhwaraj said she had “no other alternative” but to abstain during the trust vote as she was opposed to coal-based power plants and was in favour of the nuclear agreement to improve the power situation in the country without much pollution.

Ms. Madhwaraj said she had only abstained from the trust vote. “My conscience did not permit me to vote against the party’s stand, but I also did not want the Udupi Thermal Power Project (formerly known as Nagarjuna Power Project) at Yellur village in Udupi district.”

In reply to a query, Ms. Madhwaraj said: “I will not resign (as a MP) on my own. I cannot betray the people of my constituency who are against the thermal power project. I had some reservations about the Hyde Act, which were clarified.”

Asked about her future course of action now that she had been expelled from the BJP, Ms. Madhwaraj said: “I will face the expulsion. But I will not contest Lok Sabha elections in the future as politics is not the only purpose of life.”

Kunnur to join Congress

Dharwad South MP Manjunath Kunnur, who voted for the UPA Government, will join the Congress soon.

Mr. Kunnur is one of the eight BJP MPs expelled from the party on Wednesday.

Sources close to Mr. Kunnur said that Mr. Kunnur’s entry into Congress was only waiting to happen ever since the BJP leadership started sidelining him.

He would join the Congress soon, they said.

Mr. Kunnur had openly expressed his displeasure over the party’s attitude towards him. He was annoyed when the party decided to allot the party ticket to Basavaraj Bommai without consulting him.

Mr. Kunnur, who was earlier in the Congress and was elected as Congress MLA for Shiggaon, joined BJP just before the Lok Sabha elections and won.