Maintaining that Governor H.R. Bhardwaj has the power to direct Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to seek a vote of confidence in the wake of 13 MLAs from the Bharatiya Janata Party announcing their decision to quit the Assembly, the former Chief Minister and Karnataka Janata Paksha president B.S. Yeddyurappa on Thursday said he was now waiting to see what the Governor would do.
“The 13 MLAs have met the Governor and told him that they could not quit due to the absence of the Speaker. Let us wait and see what the Governor will do now?” Mr.Yeddyurappa told a press conference in here.
Alleging that Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar had lost majority, Mr. Yeddyurappa maintained that he did not have moral right to either continue as Chief Minister or to present the State Budget. He demanded that Mr. Shettar resign and pave the way for people of the State to elect a new political dispensation of their choice.
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But when he was reminded that the Governor had already given consent for commencement of the budget session from February 4, Mr. Yeddyurappa said: “The consent was given before the 13 MLAs decided to quit. Now the situation has changed. That is why I said I am waiting to see what the governor will do,” he said.
When asked if it was not wrong to conclude that the government has lost majority as the question of losing majority would arise only when more than 15 MLAs quit, he said: “Wait for a few days and you will realise that the government has lost majority.”
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He said the KJP would soon form a Parliamentary Board to finalise the candidates for the Assembly elections.