02 June,2011 06:54 AM IST | | B V Shiva Shankar
While Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is trying to seek a vote confidence in the assembly to silence his detractors when session starts today, opposition parties are running short of ideas to corner the government.
Yeddyurappa might be taking a page out of the past and seeking to do what J H Patel did way back in 1998 to ensure he survives.
The house is sitting following the SC restoring rebel MLAs disqualified by speaker K G Bopiah in October last year, after they withdrew their support from the Yeddyurappa government, pushing him to seek vote of confidence, twice in a gap of two days.
All set: BJP Legislative Party members met yesterday and decided to
go for moving confidence motion. Pic/Satish Badiger
Now they are back in Yeddyurappa's fold, but the scathing remarks the court made against the speaker and the CM has made the opposition parties push for the ouster of Bopiah and Yeddyurappa. However, they are clueless about the plans to espouse their cause, with the government enjoying majority.
Way ahead?
The ruling BJP has 121 seats in an assembly with a total strength of 224. If the six independent legislators, who are with the government, are taken into account, the majority goes up to 127. The strength of opposition parties ufffd the Congress and the JD(S) put together ufffd comes to 97. One seat is vacant with Sanganan Karadi resigning to join after quitting the JD(S).
The JD(S) had earlier said that it would boycott the house. But, it is in dilemma now with the BJP going for vote of confidence.
"If we keep out of the house, it will only help the BJP to get the vote of confidence unchallenged. Instead of allowing them to do so, we can at least make our point clear on the floor of the house. But, we will take a final decision before the session starts today," said a spokesperson of the JD(S).
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Early risers
The principle opposition party Congress is unable to decide on a strategy and will discuss the issue in the Legislative Party meeting (CLP) early today morning.
"All options including moving no confidence motion against the speaker, moving adjournment motion to discuss the SC judgment and boycotting the house are open before us. Let us discuss them in the CLP," said Siddaramiah, leader of the opposition in the assembly.
Let's emerge strong
Meanwhile, the BJP Legislative Party (BJPLP) met yesterday and decided to go for moving confidence motion as it would make the position of the party solid in the house, which would be helpful in silencing the opposition parties. The BJP legislators were strictly advised to attend the house and vote for the government.
"The opposition parties are scheming to displace the government and this made us to go for the vote of confidence," said K S Eswarappa, state president of the BJP.
