Bengaluru: On the last day of the Karnataka assembly session, the no-trust motion against the B.S. Yediyurappa-led BJP government moved by the Congress was defeated by a voice vote late Saturday night.
The debate on the no-confidence motion lasted for five and half hours, ending only at 11 pm. In that time, Congress and BJP leaders had locked horns over allegations of corruption and mismanagement against each other.
A high-voltage drama also ensued after Yediyurappa and leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah were locked in a verbal duel. Siddaramaiah demanded that the chief minister resign and a judicial probe be initiated against him and his family for corruption.
The Congress had accused the state government of corruption in the procurement of Covid-related equipment and infrastructure.
An enraged Yediyurappa responded by saying that he would retire from politics if the corruption charges were proved. “Otherwise you (Siddaramaiah) will resign. Why should I accept whatever you say here?” he asked.
During the debate, Yediyurappa suffered a bout of coughing and senior BJP leaders had to help him calm down. The CM had only recently recovered from Covid -19.
The no-confidence motion was moved by the Congress party Thursday which had obtained the necessary signatures of 23 MLAs for the motion to be moved. In the 224-member Karnataka assembly, there are 116 BJP MLAs, 66 Congress and 33 JD(S), with the rest split between independents and the BSP.
Until Saturday, there had been considerable uncertainty over whether the JD (S), a former ally and long-term rival of the Congress, would come support the no-confidence motion. Former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy told reporters Friday that the Congress had not discussed the matter with the party.
Since the no-confidence motion was put to a voice vote, it is still unclear whether the JD(S) had supported or voted against it.
‘Government has failed on all fronts’
After he moved the no-confidence motion, Siddaramaiah said that the people of Karnataka have lost trust in the Yediyurappa government.
“The government has failed on all fronts,” he told the media. “The BJP government has not only failed in developing the state, but also indulged in corruption while handling the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.
“We have exposed corruption in equipment procurement and Covid-related infrastructure. Yediyurappa and his family are interested only in making money,” the Congress leader said.
A confident Yediyurappa later told reporters that he had no objection to the no-confidence motion. “It’s a political gimmick. Let them bring the motion. Let them do it every six months. Each time they do it, we emerge stronger,” he said.
No change of guard
The no-confidence motion came amid speculation that the BJP might be looking to effect a change of guard in Karnataka, after Yediyurappa allegedly took some decisions without the central party leadership’s approval.
These include his bid to offer BJP membership to the rebel MLAs who helped bring down the Congress-JD (S) government last year and return the party to office as well as his efforts to get them cabinet berths at the cost of party members.
Suggestions that the BJP top brass is displeased with him strengthened when he was denied an appointment with Union Home Minister Amit Shah six times, while he was planning his cabinet expansion after being sworn in last July. The party also inducted three deputy chief ministers under him when he wanted only one.
According to sources in the BJP, the party had sent its National General Secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh to resolve what was seen as “a growing leadership crisis in Karnataka” in July.
Yediyurappa, 77, is a rare outlier to have survived the BJP’s unofficial age threshold of 75, brought under Modi-Shah. However, BJP sources said the chief minister is unlikely to be replaced for now.
“There are two major reasons. The BJP will not want to change the chief minister just before the Bihar elections. It will send the wrong signal,” a leader said. “The second reason is that the BJP leadership is aware that Yediyurappa can revolt if he wants to. He did it in 2012. They would not want to cause embarrassment of that kind again,” the leader added, referring to a brief rebellion by Yediyurappa that led him to form his own party that he eventually merged with the BJP.
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