Karnataka Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar’s move on the resignations and disqualification of rebel MLAs has kept the Bharatiya Janata Party on tenterhooks, pushing its top central leaders into consultative mode and putting the process of formation of its government in Karnataka on hold.
The Speaker, who is looking into the resignations of 16 rebel MLAs from the Janata Dal (S)–Congress coalition in the 225-member Assembly (including a nominated member), has disqualified three MLAs. The Speaker has sought some more time to decide on the resignations of 13 more MLAs as well as on the petitions seeking their disqualification.
Uncertainty
This has continued uncertainty over political arithmetic for the BJP as the rebel MLAs technically continue to be the members of the rival camp. This would now mean that the total strength of the Assembly has reduced to 222 (including the nominated member) and technically, the BJP’s tally of 106, including the support of an Independent member, is way behind the new majority mark of 112. The BJP is particularly concerned as this development raises questions on whether it would be prudent on the part of the party to stake claims before the Governor to form the government and whether the Governor can indeed accept it, sources in the BJP said.
The second point of worry for the BJP is the possibility of the Speaker’s action of disqualifying three MLAs for the full term of the Assembly creating a “fear psychosis” among other rebels that similar fate may befall on them. The party fears that some of the rebels may wish to withdraw their resignations to escape from such harsh punishment.
As the Speaker is yet to either reject or accept the resignations of the 13 rebels from the JD(S)–Congress coalition, BJP leaders are concerned that the threat of they being wooed by their parties to vote against the BJP when its Chief Minister seeks trust vote cannot be ruled out.
Finance Bill
What has made things further complicated for the BJP is that the Assembly is yet to adopt the Finance Bill which has to get the House nod by July 29-30 if the regular financial arrangement of the government, including the salaries of its staff, are not to be affected.
This would mean that the Centre would be compelled to impose the President’s rule for some time so that Parliament could clear the State’s Finance Bill if new government is not formed by early next week.
BJP leaders are in a fix as they would have to form the government quickly and immediately opt for a trust vote if they want to prevent the possibility of the President’s rule.
Meanwhile, BJP strategists also suspect that the JD(S)–Congress coalition may also try to woo of some of its MLAs to diminish the numerical strength of the saffron party.
Such a precarious position has left BJP State leaders in an anxious situation as there is still no clarity on whether their central leadership would give them permission to form the new government without getting clarity on the issue of rebels.