Karnataka crisis: Yeddyurappa to parade MLAs before President

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 17: In a bid to save his government and prove majority, a beleaguered Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa will on Tuesday meet President Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

Yeddyurappa, who arrived in the capital on Monday night along with 121 MLAs whose support he claims to have, will today parade the legislators before the President to prove his government has majority in the Karnataka Assembly.

The Karnataka CM, who told reporters today that he has come here “to save my government”, will also demand the removal of Governor HR Bhardwaj when he meets the President. He also thanked the Governor for uniting the rebel MLAs with the BJP.

Bhardwaj has recommended to the Centre dismissal of the Yeddyurappa government.

"Governor of Karnataka has been trying to destabilise our government right from beginning. We request President and Prime Minister to save Karnataka, to save democracy by recalling the Governor," Yeddyurappa had said yesterday.

Yeddyurappa and BJP MLAs, MLCs and MPs from Karnataka reached Delhi in three separate aircraft last evening with a plea to the President to "save democracy by recalling the Governor".

"Opposition Congress and the JD(S) want to get rid of our government illegally. We will meet Rashtrapatiji with MLAs, MLCs and MPs of our party," he said.

Meanwhile, steeping up their campaign against Bhardwaj, NDA leaders met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday who assured them that nothing unconstitutional will be done in Karnataka.

The Prime Minister also held parleys with senior ministers on the report by Governor Bhardwaj on the situation in Karnataka.

Sources said the government appeared to be cautiously treading on the issue, as any hasty action like sacking of the state government may trigger political and legal battles.

"The NDA strongly condemns the action of Governor of Karnataka in sending a report to the Central government. The Governor’s conduct is partisan. It defies all constitutional norms and principles. There is absolutely no doubt that the Yeddyurappa government enjoys an overwhelming majority in the Assembly," senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.

He maintained that as a result of the Supreme Court judgement, the 11 suspended MLAs have been held to be members of the BJP and were bound by its whip.

Jaitley said that the 11 suspended MLAs have taken back the letter they wrote on October 6, 2010 withdrawing support to the Yeddyurappa government.

"The MLAs have themselves said that they support the government," he said.

The BJP maintained that Yeddyurappa government enjoys clear majority in the 225-member Assembly.

The Congress meanwhile hit back at the BJP, saying that Yeddyyurappa was heading an "illegal government and should resign", though it avoided demanding the sacking of the government.

The latest crisis began with Governor Bhardwaj on Sunday reportedly recommending the dismissal of the state government in the light of last week’s Supreme Court verdict which lifted the disqualification of 11 BJP rebel MLAs and five independents ahead of the October 10, 2010 floor test in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, Karnataka will be hit today by pro- and anti-Bhardwaj rallies. The BJP will hold demonstrations against Bhardwaj in all the 30 districts of the state, while the Congress said it will hold rallies at several places in support of Bhardwaj’s recommendation dismissing the "corrupt Yeddyurappa government".

The Yeddyurappa Cabinet has also decided to convene the Assembly to meet for 10 days from June 2 and sought Bhardwaj’s nod for it.