BJP looks to disrupt Assembly as CM HD Kumaraswamy presents budget today

BENGALURU:  The H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government, which will present the budget for 2019-20 on Friday, faces the threat of having to resign if the appropriation bill isn’t passed before April 1. The BJP, meanwhile, has no intention of letting the process be smooth and has chalked out a detailed plan to disrupt the budget session proceedings.

After forcing an adjournment with barely any business being transacted on day two of the ongoing session on Thursday, BJP intends to continue its protests when Kumaraswamy presents the budget. All three parties will be in a huddle ahead of the budget presentation to work out their strategies. The Congress has called for a legislature party meet at 9 am while JD(S) will hold talks with its MLAs at 9.30 am. BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa will also meet with his legislators at 10 am at Vidhana Soudha.

Meanwhile, missing MLAs continue to keep the JD(S)-Congress combine on tenterhooks. “All MLAs will come tomorrow. We are confident of our numbers, but BJP isn’t. That is why they aren’t moving a no-confidence motion,” said Congress leader Siddaramaiah.

The party has issued fresh notice to rebel MLAs threatening them with disqualification if they remain absent from Friday’s special legislature party meeting. Even as Congress leaders are persistent in their attempts to woo back their MLAs, rumours of JD(S)’ Narayana Gowda being in touch with BJP leaders in Mumbai has given the coalition more jitters.

“There is a real problem. A lot rides on the next two days,” said a senior Congress leader, acknowledging the situation. The Karnataka assembly was in session barely for 10 minutes on Thursday with two adjournments and incessant sloganeering by BJP MLAs. Legislators of the BJP refused to even take their seats in the House and walked straight into the well of the House even before the session convened, making it clear that disruption was the only agenda for the day.

‘Step down, Kumaraswamy’ slogan raised

The ruckus in the assembly, to which Congress MLAs later added, forced Speaker Ramesh Kumar to adjourn the House till Friday for the budget presentation. The situation is expected to continue on Friday too. “CM go back”, “Minority government”, “Down, down coalition”, “Down with the minority government”, “Step down Kumaraswamy”, were some of the slogans that BJP incessantly shouted as the legislative assembly as it convened at 11.35 am on Thursday.

“This is a new chapter in parliamentary democracy,” said Speaker Ramesh Kumar before adjourning the House for 10 minutes at 11.50 am. But by the time the house reconvened, it was past 12.20 pm. “One government, two CMs”, became the primary slogan of BJP after the House reconvened. Barely five minutes later, the Speaker adjourned the House with no business conducted apart from ministers submitting letters pertaining to subject matters of concern. Congress MLAs too took to shouting down BJP after the House reconvened, adding to the chaos.

Visitors, including a group of schoolchildren in the gallery, were left perplexed with elected representatives shouting down each other. “Why are they struggling in a water-less well? Let them move a no-confidence motion if they think this is a minority government and we will prove majority,” yelled RDPD minister Krishna Byre Gowda, in response to BJP ’ s sloganeering.

Jadhav removed from post Hours before presenting the budget, the CM removed rebel Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav as Warehousing Corporation  chairman and appointed  Pratap Gouda Patil in his place

JD(S) man sent to bring MLA Former MLA Kodihalli  Manjunath Gowda hastasked with bringing back party’s KR Pet MLA Narayan Gowda, who is reportedly camping in Mumbai, back  to Bengaluru.