12 October,2010 02:16 PM IST | | Agencies
Terming the controversial floor test by Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa as 'farce', Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj on Tuesday offered him another chance to seek a fresh trust vote on Thursday to prove his majority in the state Assembly.
"I am prepared to give you another opportunity to hold a fresh vote to support your contention by October 14 at 11:00 am," Bhardwaj said at a press conference here. He said he had sent a letter to Yeddyurappa asking him to 'demonstratively and constitutionally' prove his majority on the floor of the House.
Bhardwaj said he found that the trust vote taken yesterday was a 'farce' as there was no clear mention of the number of votes cast in favour and against the motion of confidence moved by the Chief Minister. "The Speaker simply said that the motion was carried by a voice vote," he said, adding there cannot be a voice vote in such a crucial matter.
Bhardwaj said that the presence of a large number of uniformed police and unauthorised personnel in the Assembly had vitiated the atmosphere in the House. Asked about his report to the Centre recommending the imposition of President's Rule in the state, Bhardwaj merely said it is based on the proceedings in the House yesterday.
He also observed that this was not the first time that the Yeddyurappa government was in trouble and pointed that the Reddy brothers had 'hijacked' 50 MLAs on an earlier occasion. "The Chief Minister was in tears ... I had sympathy for him. I have fully cooperated with the Chief Minister on all matters," he said, rejecting Yeddyurappa's charge that he was not fair to his government.
The Governor's missive came even as the Karnataka High Court resumed hearing on the petition filed by 16 disqualified dissident MLAs challenging Speaker K G Bopaiah's action yesterday. Amidst pandemonium, Bopaiah had declared that the confidence motion moved by the Chief Minister was carried by a voice vote.
Opposition parties, however, criticised the Speaker's action, saying there was no division of votes and claimed that there were more MLAs opposed to the government than those supporting it. The Speaker, however, contended that no member pressed for a division.
