The Karnataka Assembly failed to adhere to Governor Vajubhai Vala’s direction to conclude the Confidence Motion moved by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy before 1330 hrs on Friday as the house was adjourned after a heated debate for lunch break.
The Governor who in a letter to the Chief Minister asking him to prove his majority in the House before 1.30 pm ended amid contentions by the ruling JD(S)-Congress coalition on previous Supreme Court orders and the Speaker insisting that the trust vote can be taken only after the debate on the motion.
The Speaker also said that a division of vote as demanded by the opposition BJP will be considered, if necessary later. Since the debate was incomplete till the House was adjourned for lunch by the Speaker at 1330 hrs, the motion was not put either to voting or division as demanded by the opposition members.
The Speaker said that “there is a direction by the Governor to the Government and it is left to them (Chief Minister) to adhere to it, but as far as myself is concerned, I will take up the motion only after giving opportunity to all members, who want to participate in the debate on the motion and express their views on the subject. I will not go out of my constitutional powers and put the motion to the Division or for vote, before this process is completed.”
The Chief Minister in a two-hour long speech on the motion said that he was not power hungry and he was certain that power may come or go but his main intention is to protect the interests of the people.
Law Minister Krishna Byregowda, with the permission of the Chair, submitted that as per Constitutional Bench verdict on several occasions and during such a situation arose Arunachal Pradesh Assembly in the past, the Governor cannot set a Agenda for the Assembly and he cannot direct the Chief Minister to adhere to his direction.
In the current case the Chief Minister himself had moved the Motion on his own and not yielding to any pressure from anybody. “The Governor has violated his Constitutional Bench verdict and has acted beyond his power,” he claimed.
Countering the Minister’s argument, Madhuswamy (BJP) argued that when the Governor asks the Chief Minister to take oath and hold the chair, will he not have authority to ask him (Chief Minister) to prove his majority at a time when he comes to know that he has lost majority?
This led to wordy duel between the ruling party and Opposition members.
At one time Srinivasa Gowda alleged that BJP was offering money to opposition MLAs to destabilise the government and claimed that he was given Rs 5 crore to join the saffron party and even he named BJP MLA Ashwath Narayana and two others had come to his house and offered the money.
He stated that BJP is misusing the Governor’s office and the ruling party members shouted slogans against the Governor.
As the wordy duel intensified by members of both the ruling and opposition, Speaker Ramesh Kumar adjourned the House for lunch.
