B S Yeddyurappa wins second Trust Vote in 4 days

B S Yeddyurappa wins second Trust Vote in 4 days

Mangalore Today News Network

Bangalore, Oct14, 2010:  For the second time in four days, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa has won a trust vote. Yeddyurappa got 106 votes in his favour as against 100 . 

On Monday, the Karnataka High Court will decide whether 16 rebel MLAs were correctly banned by the Speaker of the House from participating in the trust vote. Without them, the numbers in the Karnataka Assembly tilted in the BJP’s favour.

 

On October 11, the Speaker had disqualified 11 rebel MLAs from the BJP and five independents - after they withdrew their support to the government.

So on Monday, they couldn’t participate in Yeddyurappa’s first trust vote, conducted in complete dissonance. MLAs were shouting at each other, some attacked security guards and hours later, the Governor of the State said the vote had been a farce and recommended President’s Rule. 24 hours later, he changed his mind and said he was offering the Chief Minister a chance to prove his strength  "according to democratic practices."  And the date was then set for today.

When asked why he u-turned from his President’s Rule recommendation, Governor HR Bhardwaj said it was an act of "charity and kindness." That language was just one of the reasons that led to the BJP reasserting that Bhardwaj, who served as the Union Law Minister, is highly partisan. On Wednesday, senior BJP leaders led by LK Advani met the Prime Minister to formally ask for Bhardwaj to be recalled.

While today’s victory bolsters the BJP’s claim - that it’s the Congress and the Governor who are manufacturing a political crisis when there is none in Karnataka - the final survival of Yeddyurappa’s government will depend on what the court decides on Monday. It rejected an appeal filed yesterday by the five independent MLAs to be allowed to vote today. On Monday, if it rules in their favour and decides the Speaker was wrong to have disqualified them, the government may have to go through a third test of majority.

The drama in Karnataka was originally believed to have been scripted by HD Kumaraswamy, former Chief Minister and leader of the JD(S). After nudging 16 MLAs to revolt, he watched them closely as they flew from Bangalore to Chennai to Kochi to Bombay and then to Goa. BJP leaders flew to their five-star resort in Goa to negotiate with them and were irked to find Kumaraswamy present.

The other major Opposition party - the Congress - moved 50 of its MLAs to a luxury resort in Lonavala to ensure they did not switch sides ahead of the first trust vote on Monday.

Courtesy:NDTV