The Hindu : Front Page : Floor test by January 27

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Friday, Jan 20, 2006

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Floor test by January 27

S. Rajendran and A. Jayaram

Dharam Singh confident; Deve Gowda swears by coalition; BJP questions time-frame

THE BATTLE SHIFTS: On a day the scene of political action in Bangalore shifted from the Raj Bhavan to the Assembly, Governor T.N. Chaturvedi addresses the joint session of the Legislature in a half-empty Assembly hall on Thursday. The members of the BJP and the rebel Janata Dal (S) group boycotted the session, and five Janata Dal (United) MLAs, seen on their feet, raised slogans. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore: Karnataka Governor T.N. Chaturvedi on Thursday directed Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh to seek a vote of confidence in the Assembly on or before January 27. The beleaguered Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) Government thus got an eight-day reprieve.

Its majority had come under question following the withdrawal of support by a dominant group of the JD (S) on Wednesday. The legislative arithmetic is still seemingly heavily loaded against the Government, with the BJP and the "rebel" group of the JD (S) accounting for 123 members in a House of 224.

Sources said the 44 legislators of the rebel JD (S) presently lodged in a resort near here would be leaving for Jharkhand on Friday morning.

Jharkhand-bound?

A senior BJP leader who had come to finalise the understanding between the two parties had made arrangements for the legislators at Jharkhand, the sources told The Hindu . The legislators were expected to return next Thursday.

The Governor's action was criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which on Wednesday staked its claim to form a new government in alliance with the JD (S) group led by H.D. Kumaraswamy.

Mr. Chaturvedi told a press conference at the Raj Bhavan in the evening that there was no constitutional crisis in the State. Earlier in the day, he addressed the joint session of the legislature. The BJP and the Kumaraswamy group of the JD (S) boycotted it.

BJP legislators and leaders, including M. Venkaiah Naidu and H.N. Ananth Kumar, staged a dharna before the Raj Bhavan demanding that as the Government had lost its "legitimacy" the Governor should not read out an address prepared by it.

Soon after the session, the Chief Minister told the media that he was confident of proving his majority in the House. He said there was no danger to his Government and added that the JD (S) continued to partner the Congress in running the administration.

National JD (S) president H.D. Deve Gowda reiterated his commitment to safeguard the coalition Government. Mr. Kumaraswamy, his son, however, justified his actions and said: "This is not betrayal. For the last 20 months the Congress has humiliated my father and party legislators. We have not betrayed father or party."

State JD (S) president N. Thippanna, who has joined the "rebels," petitioned Speaker Krishna to recognise the group led by Mr. Kumaraswamy as the official JD(S). Mr. Thippanna announced the removal of Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash from the leadership of the JD(S) Legislature Party.

The Governor said he continued to recognise Mr. Prakash as the leader of the JD(S) Legislature Party as he enjoyed the recognition of the Speaker, among other reasons.

Governor's defence

The Governor revealed that the letter submitted to him by Mr. Kumaraswamy carried the signatures of 39 (out of 59) JD(S) MLAs and five independents. On his decision to leave the majority test to the Assembly, he said he had gone by the Constitution, the precedents, the recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-State relations and that of the Constitution Review Commission headed by M.N. Venkatachalaiah and Supreme Court judgments in the S.R. Bommai case and other cases. Mr. Chaturvedi said he had briefed the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Prime Minister's Office on the developments. There was no pressure on him from anywhere. He said Mr. Dharam Singh and some senior Ministers, including those from the JD(S), had requested him to fix January 30 for the floor test but he was of the view that "one clear week should suffice." He said he was taking into account upcoming national political meetings of the Congress and the BJP and the Republic Day.

Constitutional error: BJP

PTI reports from New Delhi:

BJP spokesman Arun Jaitley told reporters that Mr. Chaturvedi's decision to give more than a week to the ``minority'' Dharam Singh Government to prove its majority was a ``grave constitutional error.''

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