PTI
Bangalore, Nov 19: The Congress-led government headed by N Dharam Singh after being in office for 20 months was toppled by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in a political coup, who later anointed himself chief minister tying up with BJP. In the wake of JDS refusing to honour power sharing pact, BJP, pulled down the Kumaraswamy government, after it completed 20 months on October 7.
With the fall of the BJP led government in Karnataka today, the state has witnessed the collapse of three coalition ministries in a span of 41 months.
The state which saw the ushering of coalition era after 2004 assembly elections delivered a three-way fractured verdict, Congress and JDS, combined to install the first ever coalition.
The Congress-led government headed by N Dharam Singh after being in office for 20 months was toppled by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy in a political coup, who later anointed himself as chief minister tying up with BJP.
In the wake of JDS refusing to honour power sharing pact, BJP, pulled down the Kumaraswamy government, after it completed 20 months on October 7.
Alarmed by the high voltage campaign unleashed against it by BJP over denial of chief ministership to it, JDS in a clear move to take the wind out of sails of the saffron party tricked it by declaring its support unilaterally.
However, JDS, which felt that it has now been absolved of the tag of "betrayers", brought down the BJP government barely eight days after it assumed office.
Yeddyurappa was sworn-in as chief minister on November 12 and resigned today as JDS refused to support the motion of confidence moved by Yeddyurappa in the state assembly to prove the majority of his government.
Political compulsions ruled roost in the collapse of these government rather than any ideology.
Related stories:
Bellary Factor in Fall of Two Karnataka Governments
IANS
Bangalore: Bellary, a semi-arid but iron-ore rich district in north Karnataka, has played a crucial role in the fall of two coalition governments in the state in a span of less than one-and-a-half month.
First, it was the ministry led by H.D. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in the first week of October, followed by the short-lived ministry headed by B.S. Yeddyurappa of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which fell Monday.
The JD-S and BJP had come together in February 2006 to form a coalition government on the understanding that after 20 months Kumaraswamy will make way for Yeddyurappa for the remaining 20 months of the assembly's life.
On Oct 3, Kumaraswamy refused to honour his word and the BJP pulled out of the alliance, bringing down his ministry.
One of the reasons the JD-S cited for its refusal to transfer power to the BJP was the accusation B. Sriramulu, BJP legislator from Bellary district who was then tourism minister, levelled against Kumaraswamy for attempt to murder him.
Earlier, another BJP legislator from the area, G. Janardhana Reddy, had charged Kumaraswamy with receiving Rs.1.5 billion in bribes to allow illegal iron ore mining in the district.
Janardhana Reddy is a rich mine owner himself, owns a chopper and a fleet of luxury cars. His brother is a BJP MP from Bellary and Sriramulu is their ally.
The BJP did suspend Janardhana Reddy soon after he levelled the bribery charges against Kumaraswamy in order to ensure that JD-S will transfer power to it. It also forced Sriramulu to resign just a day after he accused Kumaraswamy of having a hand in the attempt to murder him during local body election campaigning in September.
Still, Kumaraswamy and his father, JD-S president and former prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, did not agree to the transfer of power to the BJP.
After their dramatic patch-up, the JD-S wanted BJP to keep Sriramulu out of the Yeddyurappa ministry. The BJP rejected the demand, as the Reddy brothers and Sriramulu are considered to be a major help for the party in securing funds.
'They want to take Sriramulu in the ministry. That is one of the reasons for us to withdraw the support to Yeddyurappa,' Deve Gowda told reporters after his party legislators were issued a whip to vote against the confidence motion in the assembly Monday.
Besides opposition to Sriramulu's inclusion in the ministry, the JD-S was keen on retaining cash-rich mining and urban development ministries. The BJP rejected this demand too, leading to the fall of the week-old Yeddurappa ministry, the first BJP-led government in south India.
Deve Gowda may explore power-sharing with Congress again
PTI
Bangalore: After refusing to form government with BJP in Karnataka, JD(S) chief HD Deve Gowda was headed for Delhi amid indications that he would be holding talks with Congress leaders to stitch a new alliance.
Though Gowda's exact mission was not known, sources in the party did not rule out the possibility of his making effort to form a government with Congress.
The former prime minister planned his visit to Delhi soon after his party decided to oppose BJP's Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa in the confidence vote in the assembly on Monday, days after agreeing to form government with the saffron party.
The turnaround came after talks between the BJP and JD(S) failed on Sunday following the former's rejection of its conditions before the floor test.
Deve Gowda is reported to have sent feelers to Congress earlier also for formation of the government in Karnataka.
During his visit in New Delhi last week, he had a meeting with AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Prithviraj Chavan and Parliamentary Affairs Minister PR Dasmunsi but both sides remained tight-lipped on what transpired.
Sources said the former prime minister, whose party had shared power with the Congress till January last year, reportedly agreed to give the chief ministership again to that party.
CPI demands fresh election in Karnataka
PTI
New Delhi: The CPI on Monday sought fresh elections in Karnataka following the collapse of the first-ever BJP government in the South and said no new political permutations and combinations be allowed now.
"The inevitable has happened. After the various conditions proposed by the JD(S) leadership, there was no basis for a coalition government with BJP," party National Secretary D Raja told here.
Reacting to the collapse of the seven-day-old Yedyurappa government, he said "the celebratory mood in which the BJP indulged in was hasty. They were counting the chicken before they were hatched."
He said the only solution to the Karnataka imbroglio was to seek a fresh mandate from the people by holding elections there.
"This is what the CPI has been advocating from the beginning. No new permutations and combinations should be allowed," Raja added.
Karnataka Politics - Kabhi Idhar Kabhi Udhar !
- Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa Resigns
- Bangalore: JDS Issues Whip to MLAs to Vote against BJP
- Bangalore: JDS Keeps Coalition Partner BJP on Tenterhooks
- Bangalore: BJP Divided House over Ministerial Berths - Yedyurappa Tensed
- Bangalore: BS Yeddyurappa Sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister
- Bangalore: BJP's First Government in South on Nov 12
- Governor Rameshwar Thakur Briefs Home Minister about State
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- Bangalore: BJP Hits out at PM on Karnataka Issue
- Bangalore: BJP-JDS Set Deadline for Governor
- Bangalore: Governor Keeps BJP, JD (S) on Tenterhooks
- Bangalore: BJP-JDS Combine Parades MLAs before Karnataka Governor
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- New Delhi: Cabinet Approves President's Rule in Karnataka
- Bangalore: CM Quits, Governor Recommends Dissolution of House
- Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister to Resign on Oct 8 Evening
- Mangalore: BJP in Low Spirits, Congress Buoyant over Coalition Break-up
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Forwards BJP Ministers' Resignations to Governor
- BJP Terms it 'Betrayal', Withdraws Support to JD(S) in Karnataka
- Karnataka: 'No Power Hand-over' - JD(S)' Final Word to BJP
- Karnataka: Astrologers Predict Snap Polls
- Bangalore: BJP MLAs Want Party to Withdraw Support to Coalition
- Bangalore: Cong may offer Outside Support to JD(S) if BJP Pulls out
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Convenes Cabinet Meet on Friday, Oct 5
- Coalition Govt: Clear Picture will Emerge on Oct 5: Deve Gowda
- Bangalore: BJP Ministers' Mass Resignations and after
- Bangalore: Yediyurappa, BJP Ministers Resign en Masse
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Refuses to Resign, Rebuffs BJP
- Bangalore: State's JD(S)-BJP Coalition Govt in Doldrums
- Bantwal: Yediyurappa not Fit to be a Chief Minister - Bondala
- BJP not to Allow Kumaraswamy to Continue as CM
- Allow Kumaraswamy to Continue as CM: Deve Gowda
- Bangalore: JD (S) Leads in Civic Polls in State
- Is Yediyurappa Fit to be CM? - Deve Gowda
- New Delhi: Yediyurappa will Take over as CM of Karnataka - BJP
- Bangalore: Karnataka T20: Coalition in Last-over Crisis
- Mangalore: Deve Gowda Behaving Irresponsibly - Poojary
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Says He will Quit on Oct 3
- Udupi: Gowda Confused over Power Transfer, Says Bangarappa
- Mangalore: 'Mine-owners' Decision Key to JDS-BJP Power
- Transfer of Power to BJP in People's Hands - JD(S) President
- Power Transfer: Gowda's Final Game Plan to Retain Son as CM
- Power Transfer: Terrible Past, Tense Future Haunts Gowda
- Handing over Power - Deve Gowda & Co Getting Ready to Shatter BJP's Dreams?
- State CM Can't Decide Power Transfer to BJP on his Own: JD(S)
- Mangalore: 'Power Transfer in State would be Smooth and in Time', Say CM, DyCM