After Governor, HC's Order too may have Helped Yeddyurappa
Gabriel Vaz
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Oct 13: The beleaguered Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa may have more than one reason to smile as he appears to be confident of establishing the ruling BJP’s majority in the Karnataka Assembly for the second time in a matter of three days on Thursday.
The Governor H R Bhardwaj, who had dubbed Yeddyurappa’s victory in the floor test in the Assembly on Monday after disqualifying as many as 16 MLAs, comprising 11 from BJP and 5 Independents allegedly for anti-party activities through a compliant Speaker K G Bopaiah by voice vote as a ''farce” and had recommended dismissal of the Government and imposition of President’s Rule in the State, indirectly did a good turn by offering a 'second chance' to prove his majority by October 14 even before knowing the outcome of the decision from the Karnataka High Court on the writ petitions challenging the disqualifications.
The Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice K S Kehar and Justice N Kumar, which had reserved its ruling on the writ petitions filed by the 11 BJP MLAs and had posted hearing of the writ petitions by the 5 Independents till October 18 while refusing to issue any interim order or stay the disqualifications, indirectly helped the Yeddyurappa regime on Wednesday evening as it meant a clear majority for the ruling party in the Assembly.
Team BJP
CLP meeting
JD(S) MLAs at a resort
Taking advantage of the good turn done by the Governor in offering a second chance to prove his majority in the House and also the benefit of the High Court’s refusal to intervene in the disqualification issue, Yeddyurappa decided to prove his majority a second time as directed by Bhardwaj. He was, of course, guided by legal advice as also wiser counsel from the party high command.
The Opposition Congress and JD(S) leaders as well as the disqualified MLAs, who were crying hoarse over the manner in which Yeddyurappa had won the trust vote through voice vote, were literally caught with their pants down as the Governor’s decision and the High Court’s refusal to intervene or stay the disqualification order and went hammer and tongs against the very same man, the Governor, who was termed by them as their ''saviour.”
And now, the Division Bench has come out with yet another decision which also promises to greatly enhance the prospects of the Chief Minister. While deciding not to come out with its ruling on the disqualified 11 BJP MLAs, the Division Bench has refused to concede the special plea made by the Independents to be allowed to attend the proceedings or even to cast their preferences in a ''sealed cover” to be opened after the final verdict.
The only concession – if it can be considered as such – is to hold the trust vote in the Assembly on Thursday for the second time as directed by the Governor subject to the final verdict. Thus, if the verdict goes in favour of the Independents and the Yeddyurappa regime proves its majority by a slender margin, the Independents will be entitled to seek a fresh floor test.
On a day when the High Court granted the prayer of the Information and Housing Minister Katta Subrmanya Naidu’s BJP city corporator son, Katta Jagadish, who was incarcerated in the Parappana Agrahara Jail for allegedly trying to bribe a witness by paying Rs 1 lac in the land compensation case, the ruling BJP has won another decision that can easily be termed as favourable from the High Court. Incidentally, the day also marks the series victory by the Indian Cricket team against the formidable Australian team at the Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium in Bangalore by winning the second cricket test match.
Incidentally, the State Government has declared a holiday for all Government offices in Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha and the adjacent Multi-storeyed building around Vidhana Soudha till 2 pm. Security has also been beefed up in and around Vidhana Soudha and restrictions have also been clamped. Even the media – both visual and print --- have also been subjected to stringent security restrictions as part of the efforts to prevent all unauthorized persons from entering Vidhana Soudha.
Preparations for the special session
Disqualification notice
The ruling BJP, which had managed to win the first floor test on Monday (October 11) by voice vote in the absence of 16 dissident MLAs after disqualification, by securing 106 votes, including the Speaker, against barely 102 by the 73-member Congress, 28 member JD(S) and 1 Independent, is confident of registering even a bigger win.
The BJP has already managed to 'lure' the Independent MLA, Varthur Prakash, who had dissociated himself from the ruling party and aligned himself with JD(S), to its side. The Bellary mining lord and Tourism and Infrastructure Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy has managed to 'convince' Varthur Prakash to come back to BJP fold, probably by promising a ministership. It may be noted here that Varthur Prakash was actively involved in all the activities of former Chief Minister and State JD(S) President H D Kumaraswamy during the last one week in persuading the 'disgruntled' BJP MLAs to vote against Yeddyurappa.
"In the interest of the State and stability of the Government for the next two and half years, I have decided to vote for the BJP government," Prakash, who represents Kolar constituency, told reporters in the presence of Janardhana Reddy.
The ruling party had already ''won” over another JD(S) MLA from Channapatna, M C Ashwath, who, however, did not turn up in the House on Monday. In addition, Reddy and other ruling party leaders have promised to 'get' a few more 'friendly' members from Congress and JD(S) to vote in favour of the Government or at least persuade them to abstain, which would also benefit BJP.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders like opposition leader in the Assembly Siddaramaiah and KPCC president R V Deshpande as well as JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan to discuss the fall-out of the High Court’s decision vis-à-vis the second chance offered to Yeddyurappa to prove his majority in the Assembly.
"The floor test being conducted in the Assembly on Thursday is totally unnecessary and unwarranted. The outcome will have no bearing on the Government’s majority because the Government will be forced to seek another floor test after the High Court’s verdict," the Congress and JD(S) contended. "Tomorrow’s trust vote is nothing but a semi-final match. The real and final match will be played only after High Court’s verdict. Even if the Chief Minister is able to prove his majority, for argument’s sake, it will be subject to the High Court’s verdict and a fresh trust vote will be necessary," they added.
There is ambiguity on the stand being adopted by Congress and JD(S) leaders in respect of Thursday’s second floor test in the House, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that leaders of the two parties might even consider boycotting the proceedings to buttress their contention that the ruling BJP has lost its majority in the Assembly. A final decision is awaited late in the night.
Earlier in the day, a high-level delegation of national BJP leaders comprising veteran and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, BJP’s Opposition leaders in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitely respectively, national BJP president Nitin Gadkari and others met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh demanding dismissal or at least recall of Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj for functioning against the dignity, honour and decorum expected of a Constitutional authority.
Kar 'Natak' So Far...
- Twist in the Tale: MLA Varthur Prakash to Vote for CM on Reddy's 'Request'
- Oct 13 Assembly Vote Depends on HC's Monday Order
- Karnataka Congress, JD-S Threaten to Boycott Trust Vote
- Advani-led BJP Delegation to Meet President for Sacking Governor
- Governor’s Second Chance Might Prove Yeddy’s 'Second Life'
- Bangalore: Yeddy accepts Governor’s 'Second Chance'
- Bangalore : Hearing of 16 MLAs Disqualification Plea Adjourned to Oct 18
- Governor Lashes out at BJP Govt, says Trust Vote 'Not Proper'
- CM Asked to Prove Majority Again, Governor Sets Oct 14 as Deadline
- BJP to Parade 105 MLAs Before Rashtrapathi Bhavan on October 12
- High Court Puts off Hearing Against 'Disqualification' to Oct 12
- Governor to Centre: Dismiss Yeddy, Clamp President’s Rule
- Presence of MLCs in Assembly Raises Questions of Impropriety
- Eyes on Governor, Centre after Yeddy Passes Floor Test
- Bangalore: Yet Another Brazen Act: Yeddy Bans Media Coverage
- Yeddy gets 16 MLAs Disqualified to Overcome Floor Test Hurdle
- BJP Crisis: Speaker may Pronounce Order Before Trust Vote
- Will Yeddyurappa Survive? Odds are Not Favourable
- Governor Puts Breaks on Disqualification Petition
- Bangalore: JDS Indulging in Horse Trading, says Eshwarappa
- Bangalore: BJP Crisis Deepens as More Legislators Join Rebels
- Congress, JD-S have Kidnapped State MLAs, Alleges BJP
- Yeddyurappa Government Will Fall, says Kumaraswamy
- K'taka Crisis: Dissident MLAs Given Deadline
- Bangalore: BJP Crisis - Rebels Face Threat of Disqualification
- Bangalore: Deadlock in BJP as Rebels Stay Put in Goa
- Deve Gowda Says Yeddy is 'Misleading' Speaker
- 11 Karnataka Rebel BJP Legislators Get Show-cause Notice
- Parrikar Begins Fresh Round of Talks with Rebel BJP Legislators
- Kumaraswamy Meets Karnataka Rebels in Goa Resort
- Renukacharya & Co Will Return on Friday, Promise to Support Yeddyurappa
- Yeddy Might Survive Trust Vote; Katta May be Asked to Quit
- Bangalore: Yeddy Sacks Asnotikar, Jarkiholi - Bellubbi, Others Return
- 12 Dissident Karnataka BJP Legislators in Mumbai, May Go to Goa
- 'Horse-trading' of MLAs in Full Swing as Yeddy Braces for Floor Test on Oct 11
- Deve Gowda Family's Misdeeds will be Exposed: Yeddyurappa
- Yeddy Regime Plunges into Crisis, Asked to Prove Majority by Oct 12