Fresh crisis in Karnataka, Governor for President's Rule

Bangalore, May 15 (PTI) A fresh crisis loomed large
over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in south
Indian state Karnataka with Governor H R Bhardwaj recommending
dismissal of the Yeddyurappa ministry and imposition of
President's Rule in the wake of Indian Supreme Court quashing
the disqualification of 11 party rebel MLAs.
On a day of high drama, the Governor, who has been
having a troubled relationship with the Government, has sent a
"special" report to the Centre, the Raj Bhawan said. Sources
said he has recommended a spell of President's Rule and
keeping the Assembly in suspended animation.
The report from Bhardwaj, who returned here from
Delhi this morning, comes in the wake of Supreme Court
reversing the Karnataka High Court decision of disqualifying
11 BJP rebel MLAs and five independents ahead of the October
10, 2010 floor test in the Assembly.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, whose party earlier in
the day claimed that the crisis was over with the rebels
extending support to his government, hit out at the Governor
and urged the President not to give in to his recommendation.
Addressing a late night press conference at his house,
Yeddyurappa said the BJP had a majority in the House and the
Governor was playing a political game at the behest of
Congress and the JD(S).
The Chief Minister said he had written a letter to
Indian President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh asking them not to accept the Governor's report.
A brief communique issued by Raj Bhavan said "in the
context of recent judgement of the Supreme Court in the matter
of disqualification of MLAs on May 13, 2011 and its
implications to the developments in the state, a special
report has been sent to the Centre".
Yeddyurappa said he has convened the Assembly Monday
and he was ready to prove his majority on the floor of the
House if the Governor so directed.
In Delhi, party leader Arun Jaitley attacked the
Governor's report as "unconstitutional" saying it was an
"extraordinary recommendation". He claimed that the BJP had a
majority of 121 MLAs in the 224-member House with the return
of the rebels.
The majority is decided on the floor of the House, he
said.
This is the second time, Bhardwaj has recommended for
President's rule in the state.
In October last year, the Governor made such a
recommendation after 16 MLAs-- eleven from BJP and five
indendents submitted him a letter withdrawing support to the
Yeddyurappa government.
However, the Centre then rejected the report and
allowed the first ever BJP government's continuance, which had
won the floor test twice in a gap of two days under the
direction of the Governor.
The recommendation by the Governor has stunned the BJP
which was heaving a sigh of relief after roping in support of
the 11 rebels who Sunday pledged their "unconditional" support
to government.
Yeddyurappa asserted this morning that he commanded an
absolute majority and there was no need for him to seek a
fresh floor test to prove majority of his government.
Ten of the 11 MLAs, besides faxing their letters of
support to Raj Bhavan from Delhi, had also submitted it to the
Governor through a delegation of ministers after Bhardwaj
declined to meet them.

Bhardwaj, who declined a personal audience to MLAs to
submit their individual letters of support, informed a
ministerial delegation which called on him that he had
accepted their letters sent by fax from New Delhi.
A high drama unfolded in front of Raj Bhavan, where
security personnel denied entry to the bus which ferried MLAs
and also a team of ministers inside Raj Bhavan due to
non-clearance from Governor's office.
As the MLAs and ministers waited in the bus, some of
the BJP activists who had gathered there raised slogans
against the Governor's action.
After two days of hectic parleys and persuasion by BJP
High Command, 11 rebel MLAs who withdrew support to the
Government in October last along with five independents,
turned loyalists and pledged their support to Yeddyurappa
ministry.
Though 10 rebels gave letters of support, H S
Shankaralinge Gowda did not toe their line, but the party
could not explain the reason for it.
"We wish to put to rest all such speculation and we
hereby confirm that we continue to be MLAs of BJP and extend
unqualified support to the Government led by B S Yeddyurappa",
MLAs said in a letter faxed to Bhardwaj from Delhi.
The MLAs also informed the Governor that they also
withdrew their earlier letter given to him on October six,
withdrawing support to the government.
In the midst of all these developments, a
confrontation broke out between the Governor and the
Government as Bhardwaj did not permit the request for
convening a 10-day legislature session from Monday.
A delegation of Congress leaders led by Karnataka
Pradesh Congress Party (KPCC) President G Parameshwara and
Siddaramaiah met Bhardwaj and submitted a memorandum demanding
dismissal of the government.
A group of ministers-- V Somanna, Umesh Katti,
Murugesh Nirani, B N Bacchegowda, Govind Karjol and state's
Special Represantative in Delhi V Dhananjayakumar, met the
Governor to plead for an appointment to MLAs, which was not
accepted by Bhardwaj.
Later speaking to reporters, Dhananjayakumar told
reporters that the Governor had expressed his inability to
meet the delegation as it was a holiday Sunday and his office
was not functioning.
However, the delegation handed over individual letters
signed by 10 MLAs to the Governor, he said.
The MLAs whose letters were submitted included
Balachandra Jarkiholi, V Nagaraju, Belur Gopalakrishna, Y
Sampangi, Nanajundaswamy, Dr Bagali Sarwabouma, Raje Kage, S K
Bellubbi, K Shivanagouda Naik and Anand Asnotikar.
On May 13, the Supreme Court quashed the Speaker K G
Bopaiah order disqualifying eleven BJP rebel MLAs and also
five independents.
The BJP high command had persuaded the rebels to
continue their unconditional support to the party government.