We are confident of Speaker putting motion to vote today: BS Yeddyurappa

Bengaluru: The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has expressed confidence that Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar will conclude the trust vote proceedings on Monday.

Both Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and  Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah had told the Speaker on Friday that they will conclude the trust vote proceedings by Monday.

Even the Speaker has categorically said that he cannot prolong the proceedings beyond a reasonable limit therefore giving hope to BJP leaders that the coalition government will make its exit on July 22 as it does not have the numbers in the Assembly.

If the coalition government fails to conclude the trust vote proceedings on Monday, the BJP is seriously contemplating approaching the Supreme Court after consulting the party central leadership. Speaking to this newspaper senior legislator and former minister C.T. Ravi said the party will provide full cooperation to the government to conclude the trust vote proceedings on Monday itself  since both the CM and Speaker have promised to conclude the process on the day.

If the CM adopts delaying tactics, it is left to the constitutional heads to decide what should be done, he said adding that the BJP will not resort to any pressure tactics.

State BJP President B.S. Yeddyurappa said, “The Speaker has instructed the government to conclude the debate and so we hope the government will finish it tomorrow. I urge the CM not to delay the proceedings any further,  if he continues to do so it, will be nothing but an assault on democracy.”

Everyone is waiting for the SC ruling on the whip issue, he said and recalled the earlier ruling that the rebel MLAs are free to decide whether they want to attend the session or not and cannot be compelled to do so.  The former CM  disclosed that BJP members have decided not to speak during the debate on the trust vote adding that only he will speak for five minutes after  ruling coalition members participate in the debate. Yeddyurappa claimed that the governor had written to the CM not to take important decisions since the government lacked a majority.  Yet, important decisions were taken, which was against the democratic set-up, he added. Yeddyurappa referred to the government’s decision to supersede the district cooperative bank in Tumakuru by removing former MLA and Congress leader K.N. Rajanna and appointing an administrator in his place. He said the action goes against democratic principles.

Rebels: We are Not being held at gunpoint

The rebel Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress MLAs have clarified that they are not being forced to stay in Mumbai at gun point as accused by Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar.  Talking to reporters in Mumbai on Sunday, they asserted that they were in Mumbai of their own volition without any compulsion.  The rebels said that the Bharatiya Janata Party was not behind their resignations and their subsequent shifting to Mumbai. 

They were upset because of some reasons which would be explained after their return to Bengaluru. An MLA who got elected for a second time has been made a minister whereas someone who was elected seven consecutive times has been given a raw deal, the legislators said. This is the state of affairs in the coalition government, the rebel legislators said.   They said some Congress leaders had expressed doubts about their safety but all of them were safe, hale and healthy.