After allegedly spending around Rs 150 crore on rebel BJP legislators, the Gowdas are now left in the lurch. The MLAs have returned to Yeddy's fold soon after the Supreme Court quashed their disqualification
After allegedly spending around Rs 150 crore on rebel BJP legislators, the Gowdas are now left in the lurch. The MLAs have returned to Yeddy's fold soon after the Supreme Court quashed their disqualification
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While Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa had the last laugh with rebel MLAs returning to his fold after the Supreme Court quashed their disqualification, JD(S) boss H D Deve Gowda is at a loss.
After allegedly spending around Rs 150 crore on the legislators a good part of which is rumoured to have been contributed by a mining baron from Bellary they seem to have left him high and dry in the end.
Apart from paying lawyer's fees when the case was being fought in court, Gowda had supposedly paid the disqualified legislators as promised, before they raised the banner of revolt against the Yeddyurappa government.
"This is pure betrayal. Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy fought for them and spent a lot of money. But these MLAs switched camps as soon as the SC quashed their disqualification. This is nothing but a mockery of democracy," said a source close to Gowda.
Eleven BJP MLAs and five independent legislators had written to Governor H R Bhardwaj in October last year, saying they were taking back their support to the Yeddyurappa government, following which K G Bopiah, speaker of the legislative assembly, disqualified these MLAs and the CM had to face trust vote twice in a gap of three days.
Sparing no expense
While the JD(S) openly instigated the rebellion, the disqualified BJP legislators and independent MLAs moved the HC separately, questioning the disqualification. And the court expenses were totally borne by Gowda, while former CM and state working president of the JD(S) Kumaraswamy led the battle.
Senior lawyers including C P Rao, K K Venugopal and Rohinton Nariman represented the MLAs and fees were not less than Rs 5 lakh for an appearance. While the HC upheld the disqualification, the MLAs appealed to the Apex Court, which quashed the verdict on Friday and Gowda spent over Rs 3 crore towards court expenses.
And according to the source, he has spent around Rs 150 crore to keep the legislators happy when they were distressed.
"As they had demanded that the JD(S) should pay for them, they were given Rs 15 crore to Rs 2 crore per head depending on their importance and seniority. The money has gone down the drain with the legislators switching loyalty," said the source.
Ten BJP legislators, barring Shankaralinge Gowda, and five independent MLAs wrote to the governor saying they were back in the Yeddyurappa fold and their earlier letters were redundant. Later, they tried to meet the governor to submit the individual letters, but Bhardwaj refused to meet them, while accepting their letters.
'We are family'
A jubilant Yeddyurappa said, "It is a victory for our party and our legislators are back. We are like a family and a small dispute that was temporarily troubling us is resolved and we will live happily ever after."
The source said Gowda was upset with the development and spent the whole of yesterday engrossed in prayers.
A disappointed Kumaraswamy told MiD DAY, "We supported the MLAs only to protect the interest of democracy.
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Now, they want to do whatever is convenient for them and we don't want to stop them. But, my request to them is 'Don't betray the people as you ditched us.' They should show maturity and sincerity while playing the role of people's representatives."
The drama
The state witnessed an unprecedented political drama yesterday with the governor not permitting the assembly session from today, as requested by the government. Instead, he sent a report to the center with scathing remarks against the state government in the wake of the SC's verdict.
Bhardwaj did not even meet the BJP MLAs and independent legislators, who wanted to submit their individual letters showing unconditional support to Yeddyurappa government, after their disqualification was quashed.u00a0
In response the governor's unbecoming move, the chief minister wrote to the president saying he was apprehensive of Bhardwaj's conspiracy to impose governor's rule in the state, which was uncalled for, since there was no constitutional crises as the governor was trying to project.
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