Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala has appointed a three-time MLA of the BJP, KG Bopaiah, as pro-tem speaker of the House. A pro-tem speaker fills in till a permanent speaker is appointed.
Per the usual practice, the senior-most legislator among all the MLAs is appointed the pro-term speaker, and in this case, the 71-year-old RV Deshpande is the oldest. The Congress leader has won eight out of nine elections to the assembly. Umesh Katti of the BJP is the second senior-most and has won seven out of eight elections since 1985.
Reacting to the Governor’s decision, the Karnataka Pradesh working president, Dinesh Gundu Rao tweeted that it was a shocking move. “Shocking decision by the Hon’ble Governor. Constitutional Convention says the seniormost, in this case, RV Deshpande should’ve been named. Also, Supreme Court had passed strictures against the conduct of KG Bopiah as Speaker. Sad to see Vajubhai Valaji behaving like an agent of BJP.”
Controversial speaker
The MLA from Virajpet in Kodagu district, Kombarana Ganapathi Bopaiah, is as controversial as they come. He came into limelight when in October, 2010, he decided to disqualify 11 BJP MLAs and five independents after they opposed the continuation of the government under Yeddyurappa. This helped the BJP Government to survive in its first stint in power.
But the Supreme Court took strong exception to the Speaker's action and the manner in which he acted during the trust vote. The apex court said it did not meet the twin tests of natural justice and fair play. The judges said the Speaker should not have taken action against these legislators just because they had voiced their opposition to the continuation of the government. The court observed that unless it was to ensure that the trust vote did not go against the CM, there was no conceivable reason for the Speaker to have taken up the disqualification application in such a great hurry.
A three-time MLA, Bopaiahhas been associated with the Sangh parivar since childhood and was an active member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad when he was a student.
Floor arithmetic
With the action shifting back to Bengaluru, various permutations are being worked out with both the Congress-JD (S) and the BJP claiming that their respective parties/alliance will be able to prove a majority on the floor of the house on Saturday.
On Friday, the Supreme Court ordered that the BJP should prove its majority in the house on Saturday. Welcoming the court decision, Yeddyurappa said his party would abide by the verdict and that he was 100 per cent sure of proving the majority, though it is still a puzzle how he will be able to muster the support of eight legislators from the Opposition.
The day began with the Congress claiming that one of its legislators had been illegally held by the BJP and that more of them are being forcibly made to support them during the floor test.
Wrongful confinement alleged
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, addressing reporters, said Anand Singh, a legislator from Vijayanagara Hospet constituency in Ballari district, had been abducted and kept in wrongful confinement by the BJP. He said Anand Singh had been threatened with raids from the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate.
He further alleged that the BJP president Amit Shah had been indulging in such practices in other states as well. Senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed confidence that Anand Singh, who he claimed is “being held captive in Delhi’’ will surely vote against the BJP. “Barring Anand Singh, all the 77 MLAs and two independent MLAs are with us. We are confident (we will be able) to demonstrate our numbers tomorrow,” he added.
Siddaramaiah said both independents are still with the JD(S)-Congress combine and it has 117 seats (Congress 78, JDS 37 {minus one as the JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy has won from two seats), two independents and one BSP).
Azad and Siddaramaiah welcomed the apex court order. Siddaramaiahsaid: “The court today has stopped the murder of democracy. Governor’s action clearly violates the Constitution and through his actions, he has colluded with BJP.”
The BJP’s chances of proving majority on the floor of the house on Saturday can only happen if it is able to get a few legislators from the Opposition’s ranks to abstain from voting and get a few others to vote for the party.
The BJP needs eight more legislators to win a majority but it only has 104 seats. Hence, it should either get eight from the Congress-JD(S) combine to either abstain from voting or vote for the party, which would lead to immediate disqualification.