Bengaluru: Exactly 14 months since coming to power, the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) government Tuesday fell in Karnataka.
The coalition government lost the trust vote 99 to 105 after four days of debate in the assembly and weeks of drama following 16 MLAs resigning.
The BJP is now likely to stake claim to form the government.
The vote, held by Speaker Ramesh Kumar, took place after several twists and turns, including the Supreme Court being petitioned to intervene in the matter.
“I had no intention of dragging the trust vote. I apologise to the Speaker and the state,” Kumarswamy said during the proceedings, PTI reported.
Karnataka’s future now lies with Governor Vajubhai Vala, on whether he decides to invite the BJP to form the government or if he invokes President’s rule on the grounds of horse-trading. If President’s rule is imposed, Karnataka will go to polls in the next six months.
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How the drama unfolded
Sixteen MLAs — 13 from Congress and three from the Janata Dal (Secular) — had resigned from the assembly while two Independent MLAs, R. Shankar and H. Nagesh, had withdrawn support from the Kumaraswamy-led coalition government.
Speaker Kumar refused to accept the resignations citing technicalities, which led to the MLAs moving the Supreme Court. The apex court, meanwhile, directed that the rebel MLAs shouldn’t be forced to participate in the proceedings of the House, and said the Speaker was free to decide on the resignations.
Kumaraswamy eventually moved for a trust vote, which was taken up by the House on 18 July.
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The BJP victory in Karnataka is like England’s victory in the ICC World Cup. They scored more boundaries (to be reread as they had more money)!! This is what is called a Pyrrhic victory.
1. I believe the inevitable has happened. We citizen-voters are aware of fact that JD(S)-Congress alliance in Karnataka was an opportunistic alliance, as perhaps all alliances are. 2. Fact is that good many MLAs belonging to both these political parties were unhappy as they did not get positions of power. Therefore, right from day one the JD(S)–Congress government was facing uncertainties. 3. After collapse of the H D Kumaraswamy government, blame game has begun but I think no leader in any political party, be it BJP, Congress or JD(S), has any right to take a moral stand and say that money and dishonesty have won or lost, as per each party’s interpretation! 4. I say that if we wish to strengthen our Parliamentary democracy, we need to take remedial measures on a top priority basis. Rule should be that if any MP/MLA belonging to a political party wishes to defect, he/she would have to resign and re-contest. This rule will be applicable even a group of MPs/MLAs defect as a group. My point is that we need enactment of a stringent anti-defection law. Citizen-voters also feel that provisions of new law should be framed in such a way that there would be minimum scope for misinterpretation of the law to suit politicians. 5. We citizen-voters must also demand appropriate law as regards post-poll alliance. How can a political party, with its own agenda, and which has sought votes as opposed to another political party, join hands with that very party to form a government? This is what happened in Karnataka. We must have appropriate law/rules in place to regulate formation of post-poll alliance governments.
What I find disappointing is that Shri Rahul Gandhi continued to holiday in the United States at a time when one of his party’s most important state governments was like a zebra caught in the vice like grip of a lionesses’ jaws. He should have been stationed in Bangalore with seasoned aides, fighting every inch of the way.
… lioness’ …