Highlights :
1. Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Thursday asked Kumaraswamy to prove his majority in the state assembly before 1.30 pm on Friday after the House was adjourned without voting on Thursday.
2. Taking the drama to the next level, Yeddyurappa declared that his MLAs would spend the night in the assembly itself. The group had a proper dinner spread in Vidhan Soudha and then gathered their beddings and nightwear and went to sleep on the green floor of the House.
3. During the debate,while Congress and JDS looked like they wanted to take as much time as they could before the floor test, BJP insisted at the very first instance that it should be done by the end of Thursday. Congress-JDS now has time till Friday afternoon.
4. BJP MLA V Somanna told Speaker Ramesh Kumar,I know you since 30 years. You should become our Ramesh Kumar. However,the Speaker replied,He said it as a friend.I’m your Ramesh kumar but as a Speaker I’m different.
5. Twenty lawmakers did not turn up at the assembly for the floor test,including 17 from the ruling coalition,12 of whom are holed up in a hotel in Mumbai.
6. As the Speaker allotted time to all MLAs to speak for 5 minutes on the floor of the House,the assembly saw high drama, repeated disruptions,loud sloganeering and ultimately three adjournments.
7. Congress MLA Shrimant Patil enjoyed the spotlight on Thursday after he went missing from the Bengaluru resort the previous night and was later found at a Mumbai hospital.His colleagues,Congress leaders Dinesh Gundu Rao and Shivakumar flashed enlarged photographs of Patil lying on a hospital bed with ECG cables attached to his chest.They argued why was he abducted and taken to Mumbai when there was a hospital right beside the Bengaluru resort.
8. While DK Shivakumar said Congress would produce documents to show that Patil was forcibly admitted to the hospital to skip assembly, the MLA himself in a video message on a social networking site, said no one had kidnapped him.
9. There were a few lighter moments too amid all the drama.During his address, former CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah started off saying,I am the leader of Opposition and quickly corrected himself to say oh sorry, leader of Congress party. The remark drew laughter from both sides of the House.
10. A Kidnap Case has been registered in Vidhana Soudha by the CLP leader Siddaramaiah against BJP for the alleged kidnapping of their Khagawad MLA,Srimanth Patil based on direction by Speaker to Home Minister of karnataka MB Patil directed to DG&IGP Neelamani N Raju to probe the case.Commissioner of police Alok Kumar received the complaint and a case has been registered in Vidhana Soudha Police station.
11.Both Congress and BJP will be moving petitions before the Chief Justice of India. Sources say Congress will seek clarification on whether a whip can order or insist that the rebel MLAs attend trust vote proceedings. On the other hand, BJP is likely to move the Supreme Court, seeking an immediate floor test without further delay.
12. A special team headed by DCP north Division, Shashikumar has went to Mumbai to record the statement of the MLA Srimanth Patil meanwhile DYSP Athani,has visited to the MLAs house in Sangali town of Maharashtra where he found the family members are been to Mumbai so based on the safety and for the precautionary measures Police has been deployed near to his house .
13. The ruling coalition’s strength in the 224-member assembly was 118 before the crisis unfolded. With the support of the two independents, the opposition BJP has 107 legislators. If the resignations of the 15 legislators who approached the Supreme Court are accepted, the ruling coalition’s tally will plummet to 101 (if Ramalinga Reddy takes back his resignation), reducing the 13 month-old Kumaraswamy government to a minority.
14. ‘Floor test of another kind’: Twitter hails Karnataka BJP MLA for turning up with bedsheet, pillow at Vidhan Sabha
15. No one kidnapped me, says MLA Shrimant Patil as Congress claims otherwise.
The ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition in Karnataka lived to fight another day, but faces an uncertain future on Friday after Governor Vajubhai Vala directed Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy to prove his majority in the state assembly before 1.30 pm on Friday July 19th.
The decision was announced after Vala observed that the resignations of 15 MLAs of the ruling combine and the withdrawal of support by two independents “prima facie” indicated that Kumaraswamy has lost the confidence of the House.
Though a message as contemplated under article 175 (2) is sent to the Speaker, I’m informed that the House is adjourned today.Under these circumstances,I request you to prove your majority on the floor of the House on or before 1:30 pm tomorrow (Friday),”Vala said in a letter to Kumaraswamy.
BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa said his party members would stay put in the House overnight.We will stay until the trust vote is decided,he said after the BJP,exasperated over the delay in taking up the voting, rushed a delegation to Governor Vala to ask Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to conclude the trust vote process by the end of Thursday.
Photographs showed BJP lawmakers dressed in their night clothes and armed with pillows and bedsheets camping inside the Vidhan Soudha in the state capital on Thursday night.
The trust vote to decide the fate of the 14-month old coalition government not take place on Thursday after the Assembly was adjourned till the next day amid acrimonious exchanges that culminated in members of the opposition BJP starting an overnight ‘dharna’ inside the House.
Earlier in the day, Kumaraswamy moved the motion of confidence in the House. However, 20 lawmakers failed to turn up for the proceedings these included 17 from the ruling coalition,12 of whom are camping in a hotel in Mumbai as the House debated the motion in a surcharged atmosphere.Kumaraswamy said the rebel MLAs had cast doubts about the coalition government across the country and we have to tell the truth.The entire nation is watching the developments unfolding in Karnataka,” he said. As soon as the motion was moved, Yeddyurappa stood up and said the trust vote process should be completed in a single day.As soon as the motion was moved, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa stood up and said the trust vote process should be completed in a single day.The Leader of Opposition seems to be in a hurry,”Kumaraswamy taunted Yeddyurappa.BJP is reportedly apprehensive that the ruling coalition might try to get the debate prolonged as much as possible to buy time in its last ditch effort to shore up numbers before the voting is taken up.”I haven’t come just because there is a question on whether I can run a coalition government or not. Events have shown that even the role of the Speaker has been put under jeopardy by some legislators,Mr kumaraswamy told the House.
After Kumaraswamy sought the trust vote, Congress Legislature Party(CLP) leader Siddaramaiah pressed for deferring the confidence motion till the Speaker decided on the issue of whip. in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict on the political crisis in the state.Not appropriate to take floor test in this session: Siddaramaiah.Till we get clarification on Supreme Court’s previous order, it is not appropriate to take floor test in this session which is against the Constitution.If we go ahead with the confidence motion, if the whip applicable and they (rebel MLAs) don’t come to the House because of the Supreme Court order, it will be a big loss to the coalition government.Siddaramaiah said the 15 rebel MLAs who approached the court were influenced by its order that they can abstain from attending the Assembly proceedings and asked the Speaker to give a ruling on the fate of whip issued by him as the CLP leader.If this motion is taken up, then it will not be constitutional. It violates constitutional provisions. I request you to defer it. I want your ruling on this point of order,” Siddaramaiah said.
However, the Supreme Court verdict on Wednesday stated that the rebelling MLAs (whose resignations are yet to be accepted) cannot be compelled to attend the session.SC says 15 MLAs ought not to be compelled to participate in the ongoing session of the house and an option should be given to them to attend or opt out. The SC order is curtailing my right under the 10th schedule of the constitution… Without even making me a party, SC has given this order” said CLP leader Siddaramaiah. In response, “Let me make it abundantly clear that this office is not restraining you (CLP leader) from acting as per your role. If a member of the house needs a leave of absence from the house, he should write a letter to me. I am at liberty to scrutinise the reason and will decide on whether to grant or not grant leave” said Speaker Ramesh Kumar.
The House witnessed three adjournments, acrimony and repeated disruptions by slogan-shouting Congress members before the proceedings were called off up for the day.
Adding to the worries of the ruling coalition, Congress MLA Shreemant Patil was absent from the House amid reports that he has been admitted to a Mumbai hospital.
At one point,Congress members carrying pictures of Patil rushed towards the well of the House and shouting anti-BJP slogans.
The parties traded charges after the Congress alleged that Patil had been “kidnapped” as part of efforts to ‘topple’ the coalition government.
The Congress MLAs said the lawmakers were living in fear and Patil was kidnapped, kept in a room, taken by a special flight and then admitted to a hospital.
Senior minister DK Shivakumar said they would produce documents to show that Patil was forcibly admitted to the hospital to skip assembly.
Karnataka Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao On Shrimant Patil, Legislator Admitted To Hospital:
There was hospital right next to resort where our MLAs are staying, then why was Shrimant Patil flown to Chennai and then to Mumbai for treatment? He is healthy, nothing is wrong with him. It’s a conspiracy by BJP.
But Patil, in a video message on a social networking site later, said no one had kidnapped him.
BSP MLA Mahesh also did not show up amid reports he was keeping away as he has not received any directions from party leader Mayawati on the stand to be taken on the trust vote.
The Speaker then said he would consult the state advocate general and adjourned the House for lunch.
BJP Delegation Meets Karnataka Governor.
Consider Trust Vote By The End Of The Day, Karnataka Governor Tells Speaker.
Motion of confidence is in consideration at the house. Chief Minister is expected to maintain confidence of the house at all times. Consider trust vote by the end of the day.
Request Governor To Not Interfere, Says Legislator HK Patil In Assembly.
The Governor shall not interfere in the proceedings of session as per the constitution. I request governor to not to intervene.
Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh On Shrimant Patil.
Please contact his family immediately. Give a detailed report to me by tomorrow, it does not look natural. If Home Minister can’t ensure protection, I will talk to DGP.
Voting should take place at the earliest. Even the Governor has sent a message that the voting should have been completed by the end of the day. Without respecting the Governor’s words or the Supreme Court’s decision, they are discussing extraneous matters and using it as a delaying tactic. In protest the BJP has decided to go ahead with an overnight dharna inside the Vidhana Soudha” said Suresh Kumar, BJP leader.
The House was adjourned by Deputy Speaker Krishna Reddy as the Congress members persistently shouted slogans against the BJP as the proceedings wore on with Kumaraswamy yet to make his speech on the motion.
Before the House was adjourned, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa declared that his party members would stay put in the House itself overnight and even till the time the trust vote was decided.We will stay until the trust vote is decided,” Yeddyurappa declared.He said the confidence motion was not even discussed properly for 15 minutes and other issues were brought in by the ruling coalition members to delay the trust vote.There has been a breach of constitutional framework,” he said, adding that it was unparalleled.To protest against this, we will sleep here itself,” Yeddyurappa said.It comes after Yeddyurappa in the assembly requested the Speaker to hold the trust vote by Thursday itself even if it takes till midnight.Give time to all,Speaker even if it extends till midnight. If you’re ok with it, give time to all Congress-JDS leaders.BJP will speak for 5 minutes. If need be, finish this today with voting,” Yeddyurappa said.Yeddyurappa said this after Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar read out the request made by Governor Vajubhai Vala to consider trust vote by the end of the day he said.
“SC Raised More Questions Than it Answered’: Surjewala Asks if Floor Test Can be Held When Whip is Nullified : Randeep Surjeewala”.
With the Karnataka Assembly all set for a floor test, the Congress on Thursday asked how a confidence motion can be taken up when the power of a political party to issue a whip has been nullified by a court order.Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday’s Supreme Court order raised more questions than it answered and many concerns have arisen over implementing its decision.The Supreme Court had said in its order that 15 rebel MLAs of the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka “ought not” to be compelled to participate in the proceedings of the ongoing session of the state Assembly.It said an option should be given to them as to whether or not they wanted to take part in the proceedings.Can there be a confidence motion in compliance with the established Parliamentary Procedure and Constitutional Norms in absence of Schedule X of the Constitution of India,” Surjewala asked.As a result, the Congress party’s authority to issue and enforce a whip has been effectively nullified. This concern manifested itself in practice today when rebel MLAs took advantage of the court’s order to avoid participating in the floor test,” he said.The floor test was to be held in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday. However, the House was adjourned till Friday amid high drama.Twenty lawmakers did not turn up for the trust vote, including 17 from the ruling coalition, 12 of whom are corralled in a hotel in Mumbai, as the House debated in a surcharged atmosphere.Surjewala alleged that this is not the first time that the BJP has used money and muscle power to subvert public mandate and Karnataka is the latest state that has fallen victim to the party’s philosophy of “usurping” power.He said earlier the BJP had done this in Goa, Manipur, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir.In these states (except Uttarakhand), the majority of the residents had decisively rejected the BJP, but had the “misfortune” of having BJP governments thrust upon them against their will,Surjewala said.These were all attempts to usurp power regardless of the public mandate and the Constitution. This is the very opposite of a democratic process,” he said.The Congress leader said the Supreme Court passed its judgement to balance competing interests and to maintain the constitutional balance, but “because of BJP’s desperation to subvert constitutional norms and to usurp power at all costs, it may end up, inadvertently, achieving the opposite objective”.Surjewala asked how the Congress party can enforce its rights under Schedule X of the Constitution to issue a whip if some members have been exempted from complying with the constitutionally mandated whip.Can the Congress be bound by a decision to which it is not a party? The order of the Supreme Court directly impacts and abrogates the authority of the Congress party to issue a whip in.Exercise of the powers under Schedule X of the Constitution,” he said.The inability to issue a whip, by extension, renders the powers of penalty and disqualification under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution meaningless, he added.Surjewala said the doctrine of separation of powers separates and prohibits the judiciary, the executive and the legislature from interfering with the workings of one another.Can the judiciary impose its own terms and conditions on how a floor test should be conducted and consequently govern proceedings of the legislature?” he said, while seeking to question the apex court’s judgement.He also asked whether the Supreme Court considered the context and history of these deliberate and designed defections while passing its order he said in Delhi addressing media.
While addressing the mediapersons on Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict in Karnataka rebel MLAs case, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran leader and former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa said, “Karnataka CM has lost his mandate, when there is no majority he must resign tomorrow. I welcome SC’s decision, it’s the victory of constitution and democracy, a moral victory for rebel MLAs. It’s only an interim order and SC will decide powers of Speaker in future he added.
Meanwhile security was heightened in and around Vidhana Soudha today section 144 was imposed by Commissioner of Police,Alok Kumar in and around 2 KM radius of Vidhana Soudha due to ongoing session and a very crucial day for the floor test which was to be held today has been scheduled tomorrow by 1.30 pm based on Governor’s order.
1 Addl CP, with all DCPs and ACPs nearly 20 ACPs,30 Inspectors,KSRP and CAR platoons with one company RAF also present at the vidhana soudha.
HD Kumaraswamy on Wednesday issued whip to all 37 MLAs of JD(S) including three rebel legislators Narayana Gowda, Gopalaiah and H Vishwanath to be present in the Assembly at the time of trust vote.
Mr Kumaraswamy has warned that if MLAs do not attend the House and vote against the party whip even after attending the session on the day of trust voting, action will be initiated under the rule of Anti-Defection Law and that MLA will be disqualified from his post.
The ruling coalition’s strength in the 225-member assembly is 118. With the support of the two independents, the opposition BJP has 107 legislators
