Bangalore: The rulling government in Karnataka survived its toughest challenge on Monday as Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa won a trust vote in the Assembly after the Speaker disqualified 16 rebel MLAs.
Karnataka Speaker K G Bopaiah disqualified 11 BJP and five Independent MLAs from the Karnataka Assembly under anti-defection Act in response to Yeddyurappa’s petition.
The JDS president HD Kumaraswami termed the trust vote unconstitutional and said he, along with 118 MLAs, are going to approcah the Governor.
“Yedyurappa has lost his majority in the House. He has misused the Speaker’s chair. It shows their inability to prove their majority,” Kumaraswami told to media.
D K Shiva Kumar, KPCC working president, said: “The House was not conducted, the policemen were inside the House. Within a minute the Speaker left. We will go with all the MLAs for the headcount in front of the Governor.”
Meanwhile, the Union Home ministry has expressed serious concern over the Karnataka situation and has taken serious note of it. Prima facie, the ministery sources feel the tenth schedule of the Constitution has been abused.
The Assembly secretary had issued an order banning the entry of the disqualified MLAs into the Assembly. He has instructed the police to not allow them inside. The notice has been pasted on all three entry points of the Assembly.
There was chaos inside and outside the Karnataka Assembly ahead of the trust vote as some rebel MLAs tried to force their entry into the House. They also staged a dharna outside the Assembly.
Yeddyurappa was forced to face a trust vote and prove his majority after rebel MLAs, including 14 BJP members, withdrew support, reducing the party’s strength to less than half in the 224 strong House.
Admitting that there was trouble within the party, senior BJP leader Nirmala Seetaraman said “now we should highlight how the Congress adopted all means to disrupt the democratic set up.”
“There were unbelievable scenes inside the assembly, the police walked into the Assembly that has never happened,” Congress MLA Krishna Byregowda said.
“We are demanding a vote, if the government had majority then the Speaker should have allowed division of vote. The Police Commissioner walked inside the Assembly. The marshalls should be handling the matter. Its unbelievable,” he said.

Courtesy  : IBN