Kumaraswamy's strength:
The leader of JD (S) - BJP Legislature Party H.D. Kumaraswamy enjoys the support of the following MLAS:
JD (S) 46, BJP 77, Independents 7, JD (U) 3 and Kannada Nadu 1 = Total 134
Party Position Karnataka Assembly:
Congress 65, JD (S) 58, BJP 79, JD (U) 5, Others 17 = Total 224
The joint session of the State Legislature began amidst noisy scenes when the JD (U) members shouted slogans and tore the copies of the Governor' s address. It was a fractured start as the JD (S) faction headed by H. D. Kumaraswamy and the BJP boycotted the session. The BJP Legislators began dharna in front of Raj Bhavan in the morning opposing the session as the Government of Dharam Singh had lost the confidence of the Assembly.
They urged the Governor to sack the Government and invite their leader Kumaraswamy to form new Government. Two JD (U) MLAs Madhuswamy and Anjaneya and MLCs Basavaraj Bommai and Nada Gowda, who attended the session, started shouting slogans like "Shame... Shame", as the Governor began his address. They argued that the Governor need not read his speech, as there was no Government in the State. They said that the session itself was unconstitutional, as the Government had lost its sanctity.
As the Governor T. N. Chaturvedi continued his address, the protesting Legislators tore the copies of the Governor's address urging him to stop. Legislators of Congress, Siddaramaiah - led ABPJD, Dy. Chief Minister M. P. Prakash (JD - S), Public Works Minister H. D. Revanna (JD (S) and younger brother of H. D. Kumaraswamy) and Food and Civil Supplies Minister H. S. Mahadeva Prasad (JD - S) were present in the session.
Four JD (S) MLAs including Putte Gowda and Prakash from Hassan were also present.
Despite protests from the JD (U) Legislators, the Governor concluded his 24 - page speech in about 40 minutes.
Dharam to seek trust vote on January 27:
The fate of Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh's Government will be decided on January 27 when he moves motion of confidence in the Assembly. According to sources, the Chief Minister called on the Governor T. N. Chaturvedi last night. The Governor directed the Chief Minister to prove his strength on the floor of the House before January 30. However, Dharam Singh conveyed his decision of seeking trust vote a day prior to Republic Day.
BJP urges Governor to sack Dharam Government:
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka, which has aligned with the Janata Dal (Secular) faction led by H. D. Kumaraswamy, urged Governor T. N. Chaturvedi to dismiss the Dharam Singh - led coalition Government, stating that it has been reduced to a minority.
A delegation of BJP leaders, led by M. Venkaiah Naidu and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly B. S. Yediyurappa, met the Governor when he was getting ready to leave for the Vidhana Soudha, the State Secretariat, to deliver the customary address to the joint session of the first meeting of the State Legislature in 2006 and urged him to take immediate action.
Vijayashankar promises good governance:
BJP Lok Sabha member C. H. Vijayashankar expressed his happiness over the new political developments in the State and said JD (S) - BJP combine will be the people - friendly Government.
"In the last elections, BJP and JD (U) had together gained 84 seats but were short of a simple majority to form Government. Though people had rejected the Congress, it made a back door entry to form Government in an undemocratic manner," he alleged. "Since the electorate did not give majority to even JD (S), the real victory was actually belonged to BJP and JD (U) and people expected us to form the Government then itself," he said.
"Even earlier, BJP supported Ramakrishna Hegde Government in 1983 with its 18 MLAs and now with JD (S), we can give good governance to the people," he reiterated. He said the coalition governance is the order of the changed scenario in the country where no single party is capable of ruling on its own and even in Karnataka this was inevitable.
Saddest day in my life: H. D. Deve Gowda
In the backdrop of the controversial step taken by his son H. D. Kumaraswamy, Working President of the State Janata Dal (Secular) withdrawing support to Congress party, the former Prime Minister and the National President of JD (S) H. D. Deve Gowda has resigned from his post.
Deve Gowda has called the day of his son's overtures with the party he hated most as the saddest day of his life.
"It is sadder than the day when I had to resign as the Prime Minister of India. This is the first sour experience I have had in my 45 years of political life," Deve Gowda remarked while making a brief appearance last evening outside his Padmanabha Nagar residence.
Following his reported meeting with Assembly Speaker Krishna and Finance Minister P. G. R. Sindhya, the former Prime Minister told media persons that he was surprised by the dramatic developments in State politics.
"I have been a JD (S) worker since the pre - emergency days and have never seen anything like this. There may be hitches in the coalition but going with the BJP is not the answer, because JD (S) is a secular party. Joining hands with the BJP would mean going against the basic ethics of the party. It would mean joining with the communal forces," he said.
Deve Gowda, visibly upset and angered by his son's move, is reported to have skipped dinner on Wednesday night and also refused to pose for photographs.
Rajashekhar Murthy is mum:
"I do not want to react to the sudden political developments in State,” said senior leader M. Rajashekhar Murthy who recently quit BJP and joined JD (S). When our correspondent contacted Murthy at Bangalore over, he said, "I am yet to ascertain the developments as I was away. Hence I cannot react now." When his attention was drawn to JD (S) withdrawing support to Congress and joining hands with BJP, Murthy reiterated that he was unaware of the sequences and did not show much interest in the developments.
GTD backs Kumaraswamy:
MLA G. T. Deve Gowda has blamed the former Minister H. Vishwanath for all the developments that is taking place in the State politics.
Reacting to the dramatic developments with JD (S) State Working President H. D. Kumaraswamy joining hands with BJP to form the Government, the Hunsur MLA GTD said there was nothing wrong in JD (S) having ties with BJP to give a good administration. "In the last elections, people rejected Congress and it was H. D. Deve Gowda who encouraged Congress. But Congress joined hands with former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. All this was the handiwork of Vishwanath, who has eliminated both Congress and Siddaramaiah," he said.
"All the Ministers and MLAs were fed up with Congress which never respected them and only on this backdrop, Kumaraswamy took the decision of going with BJP. There is wide support for this move," GTD opined.
Father – son play drama: Ridicules H. Vishwanath
The sudden developments in the politics of Karnataka have rocked the coalition boat well before it could reach the shore safely and has evoked mixed reactions from various quarters.
Former Minister H. Vishwanath, a bitter critic of JD (S), has termed the new developments as a mere drama being staged by the father and son (former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda and H. D. Kumaraswamy). Mincing no words in his tirade against the JD (S) politics, Vishwanath said the JD (S) drama has dealt a blow to democratic values in the State.
"The JD (S) calls itself a secular party and Kumaraswamy's move to join hands with BJP has clearly shown them in their true colours," he criticized.
"Deputy Chief Minister M. P. Prakash is the leader of JD (S) Legislature Party and Kumaraswamy has joined hands with BJP without even bothering to consult him. Deve Gowda's support for his son's move is evident and it is all a drama being played by the father and son," Vishwanath said. "Earlier, Deve Gowda dumped Siddaramaiah and left him in the lurch and the same fate is staring at Prakash. This is the end to anybody who joins hands with Deve Gowda. Once again the communal elements in Deve Gowda and his son have been unmasked, he criticized.
Saying that JD (S) has lost its moral courage to talk about secularism, Vishwanath felt that it is time for the Congress to build the party into a more powerful one. "These developments have not affected Congress. In fact, this has proved again that Congress is the only secular party," he said.
Courtesy: Star of Mysore
