Congress seeks fresh voting in Karnataka House

Describing as a ‘farce’ the vote of confidence in the Karnataka Assembly, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday demanded that disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs be revoked and a fresh voting held on the floor of the House.

Azad said the way the BJP Government in Karnataka maoeuvred to bail out the crisis laden BS Yeddyurappa Ministry was ‘unconstitutional and unethical’.

He ruled out suggestions that the Congress was behind the BJP rebels.

“The vote of confidence should take place on the floor of the House. Unfortunately, the Chief Minister has not done that. The MLAs were disqualified before the vote against law,” Azad told reporters here.

He said whatever the Assembly Speaker had done was wrong. “If the BJP says that it has won the vote of confidence, it is totally wrong and a farce,” Azad added.

Meanwhile, a Bangalore report said the High Court is expected to give verdict on the disqualification of 16 rebel MLAs, 11 from BJP and five independent.

They were disqualified hours before the controversial trust vote was won by the BJP Government.

BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, who was in Bangalore to firefight the crisis, said the party was in the majority and that the drama was scripted by the Congress in Delhi.

“The current strength of Karnataka House is 204. With 106 members we are in majority. Bashing up the marshal was done by Janata Dal (Secular).. The whole drama was scripted in Delhi by Congress,” said Naidu.

In a counter move, the BJP has decided to present its 105 MLAs before President Pratibha Patil in Delhi to prove majority for the Yeddyurappa Ministry in Karnataka

BJP President Nitin Gadkari will chair a meeting of top leaders at LK Advani’s residence on Tuesday morning

There has been a move by all partners of the ruling alliance in Karnataka to call on the Prime Minister to complain about Governor H R Bardwaj’s role.