Karnataka put under President’s Rule again

President Pratibha Patil signed the proclamation on President’s Rule after receiving the Cabinet’s recommendation in the wake of the collapse of the seven-day-old BJP Government after coalition partner JD(S) decided to vote against it on Monday. “Tomorrow we are bringing in both the Houses of Parliament the proclamation of President’s Rule in Karnataka,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Damunsi said later.

Karnataka was under Central rule for 34 days from October 9 to November 12 after the fall of the JD(S)-BJP coalition Government headed by H D Kumaraswamy. The state Assembly was kept under suspended animation till Yeddyurappa took over the reins of the state last Monday.

A day after he manouevered the fall of the first BJP Government in Karnataka by withdrawing his promise of support to it, Gowda said his policy would be to keep equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. He said it was the BJP that wanted to put down unacceptable conditions on stamp paper and his 12-point memorandum of understanding was only in response to the BJP conditions. “Many people hoped to split the JD(S) and rule Karnataka. But they have all learnt their lessons. An election will happen soon in the state and then they will know the strength of Gowda family,” the former PM said.

Gowda even distributed photocopies of the “terms of coalition”, written on stamp paper, which he claimed was sent by the BJP and included “objectionable conditions”. “They (BJP leaders) said they wanted to field Shrimaalu from Bellary, which Kumaraswamy rejected outrightly,” he said, adding that his ally also wanted to change the Assembly Speaker. “How could we agree upon changing the Speaker when the disqualification of our MLAs was in consideration,” he added.

Gowda said he set the conditions for the BJP to avoid the kind of embarrassments that characterised the first 20 months of the BJP-JD(S) coalition. Gowda denied there was a difference of opinion between him and his son H D Kumarswamy. “The family is together and it is evident,” Gowda said.

However, in a clear indication that all was not well in the family, Kumaraswamy said he may float a regional party. Talking to a TV channel, Kumaraswamy said: “I want to tell my people, in future I will take all decisions on my own. I am a man of my word. I am not averse to the idea of forming a party of my own in future,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prithviraj Chavan, the Congress in-charge of Karnataka, said his party was not interested in forming a Government by engineering defections. “It is a good decision to end uncertainty in Karnataka. The state deserves a better government. I appeal to the people of Karnataka to elect a stable government,” he said. He said the state unit of the party has already decided against forming a coalition government and “we had been demanding dissolution of the House for seeking a fresh mandate”.