State News And Discussion - 3

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[url="http://www.dailypioneer.com/289657/Cong-JD(S)-on-back-foot.html"]Cong, JD(S) on back foot[/url]

Chinks showed in the Opposition ranks as at least one of the independent MLAs, out of six independents in Karnataka Legislative Assembly, Varthur Prakash, who was identified as being with the Congress and JD(S), has announced his decision to support the Yeddyurappa Government in the trust vote on Thursday.



Varthur Prakash, who was earlier supporting the BJP, had left and supported the Congress and JD(S) during the crisis. In fact, he identified himself with the JD(S) and he is the only independent MLA not disqualified by the Speaker. Varthur Prakash, who surfaced along with Tourism Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy, has extended his support to the BJP.



Talking to media, he said, “I am going to vote for the motion. I will support BJP Chief Minister Yeddyurappa at the time of motion tomorrow. For me, development of my constituency is important.”



The entry of this independent MLA into the BJP fold adds to Yeddyurappa’s comfort level in number game to prove the majority during the second trust vote on Thursday by increasing the BJP’s total strength to 107. [color="#FF0000"]According to sources in the BJP, JD(S) MLA Ashwath is also with them and he is going to abstain from voting. The rumour is ripe that one or two Congress MLAs will also support the BJP at the time of trust vote. With this, the smiles are back in the BJP camp, and looking at the numbers, Yeddyurappa will prove his majority on Thursday.[/color]



The BJP now has a strength of 106 members, including the Speaker, in the 224-member House after Speaker KG Bopaiah disqualified 16 MLAs under the provisions of anti-defection laws. The disqualification of the MLAs had brought down the strength of the 224-member Assembly to 208



The Congress and JD(S) have also issued whip to defeat the motion moved by Yeddyurappa seeking trust vote on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Congress and JD(S) camps were livid at both the Centre and the Governor. Several Congress members on Wednesday expressed displeasure over the manner in which the Congress high command has dealt with the situation. In fact, at [color="#FF0000"]Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting which was held thrice in a posh hotel in Bangalore[/color] on Wednesday, leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah even attacked the Governor in allowing the BJP to seek a second trust vote.



Talking to The Pioneer, Siddaramaiah attacked the Governor and called his decision to allow the BJP to seek the trust vote for the second time as “unconstitutional”. He also accepted that many legislators expressed their displeasure in the manner in which the whole episode was handled.



Siddaramaiah said, “The decision of the Governor to allow the BJP to seek the trust vote for the second time in the House is unconstitutional and unprecedented in the independent India’s political history. I don’t know under what pressure he had to take this decision. We had the CLP meeting and many MLAs have expressed their opinions which will be sent to the high command.”



He further said that the BJP Government had failed to prove its majority during Monday’s floor test, and in the normal course, the President’s rule should have followed, which was recommended to by the Governor.



According to a source, even some of the MLAs demanded in the CLP meeting to consider en mass resignation and teach a lesson to the high command.



According to the Congress sources, in normal terms they were expecting a Congress-led Government with Siddaramaiah as the Chief Minister after the fall of the BJP Government in Karnataka.



Meanwhile, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy also blasted the Governor for his decision. He termed his action as one-sided and favouring the BJP. He went and met the Governor in the evening and demanded that the trust vote should be postponed till the court judgement on the writ petitions pending in the Karnataka High Court.