The disqualification of all rebel MLAs seems to have removed any element of uncertainty from the trust vote Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa will seek on Monday.
A confident BJP, though holding a legislature party meeting on Sunday evening, did not indulge in any flock-keeping exercise. Instead, it asked its MLAs to assemble at Vidhana Soudha on Monday for the session.
Though the BJP vehemently opposed the Speaker’s decision to disqualify rebel MLAs , the decision also came as a relief for the party as the coalition leaders were still trying to woo back the rebels. Senior BJP leader R. Ashok had been with the rebels for the past four days to prevent any setback.
“Now that 17 MLAs have been disqualified, the strength of the Assembly has reduced to 208 and 105 is the simple majority, which is also our strength in the Assembly. We also have the support of an Independent MLA,” a senior BJP leader said. Many BJP MLAs told The Hindu that Mr. Yediyurappa asked MLAs for suggestions on the course the BJP government must take and the meeting turned into a platform for MLAs to give their suggestions.
Numbers game
Meanwhile, the Opposition is not expected to mount a serious challenge to the government on Monday, as many believe that “it is now only a numbers game in which the BJP has the upper hand.” However, the principal Opposition, Congress, seems to be mired in confusion. The party is yet to elect a leader who will be the Leader of the Opposition.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah is expected to lead the party in the Assembly on Monday. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad is scheduled to reach the city on Monday to hold parleys and select the Leader of the Opposition.
“Both the BJP and the JD(S) held two legislature party meetings since Tuesday when the government collapsed. But the Congress held no CLP meeting or took any confidence-building measures,” said a senior Congress legislator, expressing dismay. The CLP meeting is scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m., but many MLAs said they were yet to receive any intimation of the same.
The Congress and the JD(S), though still in alliance, have not yet formally met to chalk out their strategy in the Opposition.
