No President’s Rule in Karnataka

The Centre on Sunday night ruled out President’s Rule in Karnataka advised by Governor H R Bhardwaj.

The rejection of the Governor’s advice was expected even as the Ministry of Home Affairs is to issue an advisory to the B S Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka on the issues raised by the Guv.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs(CCPA) presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on a night the PM threw a dinner to celebrate the completion of two years of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) II government at the centre.

Union Home Minister told reporters that the Governor’s recommendation was not accepted by the cabinet.

The chief minister and the Governor were on a collision course with the governor sending a special report to Centre advising President’s Rule and Yeddyurappa led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanding ouster of the Governor.

Both accused each other of subverting the Constitution.

The BJP, led by Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, on Saturday staged protests across Karnataka against Governor HR Bharadwaj as the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs met in New Delhi to discuss his recommendations on imposing President?s Rule in the state.

In the past weeks there was no let-up in the battle between Yeddyurappa and Bhardwaj with the CM warning of a massive agitation against the Guv if he did not allow the assembly session to start on June 2.

Yeddyurappa had paraded his MLAs before the President in New Delhi to show his strength and demanded removal of Bhardwaj after the governor advised President’s rule in the state.

The BJP in Karnataka, beefed by the renewed backing of 16 legislators who had earlier rebelled, slammed the governor?s call for President?s rule in Karnataka as illegal, unconstitutional and “a murder of democracy.”

The governor had recommended President?s rule citing a constitutional breakdown in the state and emboldened by a Supreme Court verdict overturning the suspensions of the 16 MLAs last year by the assembly speaker.

Bhardwaj alleged that B S Yeddyurappa and Speaker K G Bopaiah misused the constitutional provisions to win trust vote in October last year.

A total of 16 MLAs — five independents and 11 from the BJP who had rebelled against the CM — were suspended by Speaker K G Bopaiah on Oct 11 last year, hours before B S Yeddyurappa’s trust vote, allowing him to win by a wafer-thin margin.

But all the MLAs in a volte-face backed Yeddyurappa a week ago.

The Karnataka Assembly has 225 seats, including one nominated seat.