Chidambaram slams BJP for placing ‘hurdles’ in Karnataka trust vote

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday slammed the BJP for placing “hurdles” in conducting the trust vote in Karnataka Assembly and asked how many “tricks” the saffron party will “invent” to win it.

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said it was due to the Supreme Court the trust vote is being carried out and it was a commentary that on a purely State matter, the parties do not repose confidence in the state high court.

The Congress and JD(S) directly approached the apex court instead of the state high court.

“First, give us 15 days. Second, Anglo Indian member. Third, secret ballot. Fourth, colluding pro-tem Speaker. Fifth, under invention!

“How many tricks will the BJP invent before the Karnataka Assembly votes on the motion of confidence? How many hurdles will they place?,” he tweeted.

The former finance and home minister said if 221 elected men and women (in Karnataka as MLA) cannot decide who among them enjoys the confidence of the majority “Why call ourselves a democracy?”.

The BS Yeddyurappa government of the BJP is facing a trust vote following a Supreme Court order after the Congress-JD(S) combine claimed that it has more numbers than the saffron party.

The May 12 Assembly poll threw up a fractured mandate in which BJP got 104 seats, Congress 78 and the JD(S) 37 in the 224 member House. Polling in two constituencies did not take place due to various reasons.

The Congress and JD(S) formed an alliance after the results and staked claim to form the government.