All Abuzz As BSY Readies For Retake
Fresh Confidence Vote on October 14
Vishwa Mohan & Asha Rai
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi/Bangalore: The BJP saw him as a tormentor, but governor H R Bhardwaj has ended up, if unwittingly, a benefactor for the B S Yeddyurappa government, and may even help it survive the life-threatening crisis.
The BJP on Tuesday seized upon Bhardwaj’s ‘offer’ to allow a fresh majority test in which the numbers are likely to favour it.
Unfortunately, the second trust vote, on Thursday, is unlikely to resolve the political crisis facing the state as the Karnataka High Court has
posted for October 18 the next hearing on petitions submitted by the 16 dissident MLAs against Speaker KG Bopaiah’s decision to disqualify them.
The HC reserved its order on the petitions of 11 disqualified BJP legislators, while setting October 18 as the next day of hearing on petitions from the five similarly placed independents. The vacation bench of the Karnataka High Court heard the arguments of the 11 dissident BJP MLAs on Tuesday morning, and those of the 5 independent dissidents in the afternoon. As the latter wanted to make an amendment to their plea, the hearing was postponed to Monday, leaving the state in a state of flux.
Interestingly, the BJP had initially attacked the governor’s ‘offer’, demanding his recall. Its mood changed after the court desisted from staying operation of the order terminating membership of the 16 MLAs. “I am going to seek a vote of confidence on the 14th at 11am. I am confident of winning the vote of confidence,’’ Yeddyurappa declared after a meeting with members of the BJP core group in New Delhi.
The BJP legislators camping in Delhi left for Bangalore on Tuesday night.
Much hinges on the high court’s interpretation of the Constitution and its reading of the precedents. If the high court, next week, rules that the disqualification of the MLAs was invalid, it would set the cat among the pigeons once again and put the governor in the piquant situation of having to ask the CM to prove his majority for a third time in less than 10 days — something unheard in the history of India.
Asking for a second trust vote within days of the first one is unprecedented as the law stipulates that there should be a gap of six months. However, the governor has held that the first confidence vote was not valid given the bizarre circumstances under which it was held.
Bhardwaj, who on Monday had recommended dismissal of the government, cloaked the Uturn as an act of sympathy. In fact, however, he had to retrace his step after the Centre frowned upon his haste, fearing that it could be politically counter-productive by giving the BJP an opportunity to play victim.
At the press conference in Bangalore, Bhardwaj tried to sound magnanimous, though many discerned a streak of imperiousness when he claimed how he had shown sympathy for Yeddyurappa when the CM was in tears.
The BJP, which on Tuesday seized upon governor H R Bhardwaj’s ‘offer’ to allow a fresh majority test, is cautiously optimistic about its chances of passing the floor test on Thursday.
With the high court not staying disqualification of the independents and the 11 BJP rebels, the party has to just hold on to the tally of 105 it notched on Monday to go past the new magic figure of 104. It also has the cushion of Speaker Bopaiah’s casting vote. However, the party leadership has resolved to win the contest on Thursday by a margin of more than five votes in order to nip the argument that Yeddyurappa’s government could win only after disqualifying the five independents.
With the JD(S), led by the father-son duo of HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy, equally determined to thwart the ruling party, the stage seems set for intense horse-trading and a repeat of the mayhem seen on Monday.
In the meantime, hectic parleys continued within the various political groupings in Bangalore. The opposition, keen to keep its flock together, moved the dissidents MLAs to a resort on the outskirts of the city. The JD(S) was in the thick of the action as it has the most to gain if its current coup translates into a power grab.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday deliberated with his cabinet colleagues from Karnataka the political situation in the state.
VERBAL DUEL ON A DIFFERENT PITCH
I am prepared to give you another opportunity to hold a fresh vote to support your contention by October 14 at 11 am... The chief minister was in tears ... I had sympathy for him. I have fully cooperated with him on all matters — H R Bhardwaj, GOVERNOR
I am confident of winning the vote of confidence on the 14th... I have been facing difficulties since the past two-and-half years. I have tackled them successfully and this time also I’ll overcome them —B S Yeddyurappa, CHIEF MINISTER
It is a constitutional issue. We want to do justice. We have to have discussions for that. What if the verdict is given on Monday or thereafter? What difference does it make — HC bench hearing disqualified MLAs’ appeals
Nothing wrong... The governor is well within his constitutional rights to ask the CM to prove majority for the second time... What took place on Monday was unconstitutional — B K Hariprasad
AICC GEN SECY
In the history of India have you heard anybody being given an opportunity twice to prove the vote of confidence? This is unconstitutional— H D Kumaraswamy, JD(S) STATE CHIEF
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