Karnataka Governor recommends President rule in the state

[Indian]

Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj has recommended President’s rule in
the state after BJP government led by B S Yeddyurappa won the
confidence motion by voice vote amidst chaotic scenes in the Assembly.
The Governor in his report called the events and the vote in the
Assembly as unconstitutional and recommended that the state should be
brought under President’s rule.

AIR correspondent reports that the Congress Core Group, headed by
Sonia Gandhi, met at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on
Monday and discussed the situation arising out the developments in
Karnataka.

A one line motion moved by Yeddyurappa was passed, even as the House
witnessed unprecedented scenes with the opposition Congress and the
JD(S) refusing to accept the outcome on Monday. The Speaker K G
Bopaiah promptly adjourned the House sine die. Before the trust vote,
the Speaker disqualified 16 rebel MLAs, including 11 from BJP under
the provision of the anti-defection law. With this the strength in the
224-member Assembly came down to 208 and 105 became the magic figure
to sail through the motion. Later, the disqualified MLAs moved the
Karnataka High Court challenging their disqualification and sought a
stay on the Speaker’s order. The Court held a hearing on a plea from
the disqualified MLAs and will meet again today.

Reacting to the developments, Congress slammed the way the BJP
government in Karnataka won the trust vote, terming it as murder of
democracy. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Party spokesperson
Manish Tewari alleged that the entire process violated the spirit of
the Indian Constitution. Congress ally JD(S) has demanded immediate
dismissal of Yeddyurappa government. The CPI(M) condemned the
legislative proceedings as unconstitutional and undemocratic. The BJP
President Mr. Nitin Gadkari on the other hand accused the Congress and
JD(S) of destabilizing the government in Karnataka through
pressurizing the MLAs and using money power.


Raj Bhawan sources said the Governor has noted in his report that what
had happened during the business relating to confidence vote in the
state assembly on Monday morning “is all unconstitutional”.

Truly, the assembly witnessed chaotic, unruly scenes even as the BJP
government went on to win the floor test and survived the no
confidence motion.The Governor had said that the government was in a
win-win situation with outsiders inside the assembly and that the
entire voting process was a farce.Making a mockery of democracy, there
was complete pandemonium as a voice vote that has already been charged
with being tainted was won by the BJP government in its Southern
Bastion. The Speaker intervened and disqualified the 11 rebel MLAs and
5 independents.