Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict directing Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to prove majority on the floor of the Legislative Assembly on Saturday, Congress leaders alleged that Governor Vajubhai R. Vala acted as a “puppet” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP by not allowing the Congress-JD(S) coalition, which has a majority of 116 of the 222 members elected to the House on May 15, to form the government.
Senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, and Siddaramaiah welcomed the decision and alleged the Mr. Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah “behaved liked Hitler” by disregarding democratic norms and the Constitution. They said “the Supreme Court rose to the occasion and undid the Governor’s decision”.
Mr. Vala’s appointment as the Governor of Karnataka was made by the Modi government in 2014.
Speaking at a press conference at the party office, the Congress leaders said they were confident of proving the majority in the House. The Congress has decided to support the formation of the government headed by JD(S) Legislature leader H.D. Kumaraswamy. In the elections held to 222 seats, the BJP won 104, Congress got 78, JD(S) 38, and Independents got 2. “We congratulate the Supreme Court judges for their uprightness, saving democracy, the judiciary and the Constitution,” Mr. Azad said, and hailed some of the conditions imposed by the apex court on conducting the floor test on Saturday. The court has refrained Mr. Yeddyurappa from taking decisions until he proves a majority in the Assembly.
Mr. Siddaramaiah termed the SC decision “historic”. “Giving 15 days for Mr. Yeddyurappa to prove a majority is unprecedented in the history of Independent India.Mr. Yeddyurappa sought one week, and the Governor gave him 15 days. This means the Governor deliberately gave him time to break a political party,” Mr. Siddaramaiah claimed. The Congress leaders also took out a procession from the party office to the Raj Bhavan, protesting against the Governor’s decision, but the police stopped them from reaching their destination.
