The ouster of Congress-JD(S) coalition Government seems imminent when the show of strength in the Karnataka Assembly takes place expectedly on Monday.
While 11 Congress rebel MLAs released a video on Sunday claiming they would not attend the Assembly proceedings, two independent MLAs have petitioned Supreme Court to direct the Speaker to wind up the vote of confidence process 5 pm on Monday.
The Kumaraswamy Government, on the edge for last one month, had on July 19 defied the two deadlines set by Governor Vajubhai Vala to prove its majority on the floor of the House.
Hoping for some kind of relief from the Supreme Court, the ruling coalition, meanwhile, was making last ditch efforts to win back unrelenting rebel lawmakers.
Kumaraswamy and the Congress had moved the Supreme Court on Friday, accusing the Governor of interfering with the Assembly proceedings when the debate on the trust vote was underway and sought clarification on its July 17 order, which they said, caused hindrance in issuing whip to the legislators.
The Assembly was adjourned till Monday after the Governor’s 1.30 PM deadline and the second one to conclude the confidence motion process by Friday itself was ignored, prolonging the instability and suspense on the possible survival of the coalition Government.
As the first deadline neared on Friday, the ruling coalition questioned the Governor’s power to issue such a direction, with Kumaraswamy citing a Supreme Court verdict that a Governor cannot act as ombudsman of the legislature.
The Governor’s second missive was dismissed as a “love letter” by Kumaraswamy, who criticised Vala for talking about horse-trading now “when it had been happening” for the last several days.
However, before adjourning the House on Friday, Speaker Ramesh Kumar extracted a “commitment” from the coalition that the motion of confidence would reach finality on Monday, even as he made it clear that it would not be prolonged further under any circumstances.
If the ruling coalition tries to delay the proceedings on Monday also, all eyes will be on the next move by the Governor, who has been keeping the Centre posted on the curious ups and downs in the state.
The “delay” in completing the trust vote process was seen as an attempt by the ruling coalition aimed at buying time to woo back rebel MLAs, herded down in a Mumbai hotel allegedly by the BJP to protect them from poaching by the ruling coalition, whose resignation has pushed the government to the brink of collapse.
There are about 13 MLAs of the Congress and the JDS who have resigned from the assembly and are apparently no mood to go to the ruling alliance as the Congress has accused the BJP of horse trading and conspiring to destabilize the state coalition government of the state.
BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa on Sunday expressed confidence that Monday would be the last day of the Kumaraswamy led coalition Government.
“As Siddaramaiah, Speaker and Kumaraswamy have said that they will seek majority on Monday, I am 100 per cent confident that things will reach a conclusion.
“The SC has clearly said in its order that under no circumstances should the 15 MLAs staying in Mumbai be compelled to attend the current assembly session”, he said.
It has clearly stated that it is left to them (MLAs) whether they want to attend it or not,” the former chief minister said.
He emphasised that whip has no value in such a situation, which the ruling party leaders too know. As Yeddyurappa has called the meeting of party’s legislature party on Monday, Congress held a detailed strategy session in a hotel at Bengaluru on Sunday.