Ahead of the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition government facing the trust vote in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, party leaders on Wednesday sought legal advice on options available before them, beside visiting temples.
As the Supreme Court directions came on Wednesday, which they saw as indirectly infringing on the rights of parties to issue whip to attend the session, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah met at a hotel to plan their moves.
Sources said that the leaders were involved in hectic discussion involving legal experts on constitution matters, and a number of senior Congress Ministers were also part of it. Within hours, they trooped into Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar’s chambers seeking clarification on the option given to rebels by the court.
JD(S) meeting
While the discussion went on for nearly an hour, JD(S) party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda consulted Advocate General Uday Holla on the options before the government. Mr. Kumaraswamy also met his father Mr. Gowda a couple of times over the day to decide the move of the government. Earlier in the day, the father-son duo were part of post lunar eclipse rituals at Shankar Mutt in Chamarajapet, and once the court direction came, Mr. Kumaraswamy left the mutt to hold talks with his party leaders.
Sources said the focus on wooing back legislators from the rebel camp suffered a jolt after the court gave the legislators a reprieve from attending the session. “One JD(S) legislator had agreed to come back. However, after the court order, that plan fell through,” sources said.
The JD(S) legislators continued to stay in the resort near Nandi Hills on the city’s outskirts and will be brought to the Assembly on Thursday morning, sources said.
The BJP legislators also stayed put in their resort. Party president B.S. Yeddyurappa took part in a homa and a special puja in Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple.
