Bangalore: Governor asks for details of speaker's tour
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Jan 24: Even as the plans of the supporters of KJP leader B S Yeddyurappa in seeking to reduce the strength of the ruling BJP and thereby cause problems to Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar by getting as many as 13 MLAs to resign their assembly membership failed to materialize due to the absence of Speaker K G Bopaiah on Wednesday, Governor H R Bhardwaj has now stepped in by writing an official letter asking for details of Bopaiah’s tour programme.
It may be recalled that cabinet ministers C M Udasi and Shobha Karandlaje had tendered their resignation letters to chief minister Jagadish Shettar on Wednesday morning and rushed off to Gulbarga on a two-day official tour without taking any decision on the resignation letters, the two ministers along with another 11 MLAs went to Speaker’s office in Vidhana Soudha to formally quit their assembly membership.
However, the Speaker as well as Assembly Secretary Om Prakash were unavailable and the Assembly Joint Secretary Galagali refused to accept the resignation letters on the ground that he was not authorized to do so.
The former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa immediately rushed to Vidhana Soudha to exert pressure without any success. He later went to Raj Bhavan to lodge a complaint with Governor Bhardhwaj on the ruling BJP’s ploy to prevent the MLAs from resigning.
According to unconfirmed reports, the Speaker had quietly flown to neighbouring Nepal after getting wind of the plans of the supporters of Yeddyurappa to embarrass the Shettar regime through their decision of quitting the assembly membership, which would reduce the strength of the ruling BJP inside the assembly.
With the rival factions of BJP and KJP accusing each other and indulging political brinkmanship, the Governor has written to the Assembly secretariat seeking details of the Speaker’s tour programme and also the tour programmes of all assembly secretariat officials.
Assembly Secretary Om Prakash has confirmed receipt of the letter from Raj Bhavan and indicated that a suitable reply would be provided as per norms.
The 13 BJP MLAs, who wanted to quit their assembly membership, have e-mailed their resignation letters to Bopaiah and requested the latter accept the same by January 28.
Meanwhile, the Speaker’s office has clarified that the Speaker would be back in the city on January 28 and would take an appropriate decision on the resignation letters.