Bangalore: With the BJP government proving majority on the floor of the house by voice vote amid chaos after B S Yeddyurappa moved the confidence motion, the political drama has now shifted to the Raj Bhavan and the high court. NDTV has learnt that the Cabinet will consider Governor HR Bhardwaj's report to the Centre that calls the vote of confidence a farce and says that not only MLAs, but also outsiders had entered the floor of the House.
Governor HR Bhardwaj, who advised the Speaker on Sunday against disqualifying the rebel legislators, has recommended President's Rule in the state. The case has now gone to the high court and the Chief Justice will hear the petitions of the disqualified MLAs.
The beleaguered BS Yeddyurappa government survived a test of strength amid complete chaos in the Assembly on Monday morning. This after Speaker KG Bopaiah disqualified 11 dissident BJP MLAs and five independents hours before the crucial vote of confidence, bringing the numbers to favour the BJP.
Backing the Governor, Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily said the Speaker acted unconstitutionally. "Fear psychosis was created inside the Assembly," Moily told NDTV.
The Opposition parties - the Congress and the JD(S) - had called the disqualification "anti-democratic" and made clear they will not let matters rest here in their bid to oust the BJP government.
The Congress said after the trust vote that many MLAs were outside when the confidence motion was passed. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president RV Deshpande said this was the "darkest day in Karnataka politics"and that his party would appeal to the Governor against the "undemocratic manner" in which the vote was conducted.
Danish Ali of the JD(S) said the "Speaker's decision was not legal. We will appeal to the Governor to recommend the dismissal of this government."
He said a "United oppn will protest this. Nowhere have we heard of a confidence vote passed by voice vote and MLAs disqualified one hour before Assembly."
Danish Ali said the anti-defection law had been abused. Congress and JD(S) MLAs are on their way to meet the Governor.
The BJP on its part has accused the Opposition of "playing dirty tricks" to try and bring down its government and said it had the numbers to cross its biggest hurdle.
Pandemonium in Assembly
The disqualification of the 16 MLAs led to pandemonium in the Assembly on Monday morning. The disqualified MLAs are up in arms and five of them forced their way into the Vidhana Soudha.
As the MLAs violently protested against their disqualification, one even reportedly punching a Marshal, the police was forced to enter the House and struggled to control the lawmakers.
In his order, Speaker Bopaiah said these 16 MLAs had been disqualified under the provision of the anti-defection law as envisaged in the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
The BJP MLAs disqualified are: Balachandra Jarkiholi, Belur Gopala Krishna, Anand Asnotikar, Dr Sarvabowma Bagali, V Nagaraju, Raje Kage, Y Sampangi, Nanjundaswamy, S K Bellubbi, H S Shankara Lingegowda and Shivanagouda Naik.
Former ministers Venkataramanappa, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Goolihatti Sekhar and MP Narendraswamy and independent MLAs were also disqualified.
How the numbers stacked up in the Karnataka Assembly:
Total in House: 224
Disqualified: 16
Effective strength: 208
Halfway: 104
BJP: 105
Congress: 73
JD(S): 28
Independents: 1
With the disqualification, Bopaiah brought down the strength in the 224-member Assembly to 208. The ruling party strength reduced to 105 from 117 and the opposition Congress and JD(S) had a combined strength of 101 (Congress 73 and JD(S) 28). So, BJP was in position to pull through (Half way mark now being 104).
The Speaker's move came after a big confrontation between him and Governor HR Bharadwaj who had directed the Speaker not to disqualify any rebel MLA before the floor test on Monday.
The Governor and the Speaker traded letters and charges after Governor HR Bharadwaj stepped in to indicate the Speaker, KG Bopaiah, should not disqualify the rebel MLAs in order to maintain the character and configuration of the House.
The Governor had yesterday shot off an advise under Article 175 (2) of the Constitution, asking the Speaker not to change the character of the House and ensure that all members participate in the trial of strength.
Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, who is spearheading the oust BJP government campaign reacted sharply to the disqualification charging that the BJP government has adopted "anti-democratic" methods to survive in power.
A Week of Drama
It's been a week full of drama in Karntaka politics with the rebel MLAs city hopping late last night; two chartered planes brought back the MLAs to Bangalore, they are being closely guarded by JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy.
The Speaker had given the rebels a deadline of 5 pm on Sunday to answer the notice he had issued to them. They ignored that deadline and stayed in Chennai where they met once again with JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy. (With PTI inputs)
