Reported By:
| Edited By: Hemanth Kumar |Source: DNA |Updated: Feb 12, 2011, 08:56 AM IST
Love is in the air as the city is preparing to celebrate Valentine’s Day. But for the beleaguered chief minister BS Yeddyurappa it could turn out to be a bitter day as the Karnataka high court is slated to deliver its verdict on the disqualification of five independent MLAs on Monday.
The ruling BJP is already worried as the feeling, based on the proceedings in the high court, is that the verdict could go in favour of the independent MLAs.
AS Ponnanna, counsel for the MLAs, said: “The independents never lost their independent status. We are hopeful that this order will go in our favour, but it will not be right to sit in judgment now.”
Vivek Reddy, representing the speaker, said: “I think we have a case. Our argument was always that the independents had become part of the party since they took part in legislature meetings and also accepted the party whips.”
The court will decide who is the victor on Valentine’s Day, but the BJP is preparing for the worst. The strength of the assembly will go up to 211 if the disqualification of the five independents is quashed and the chief minister will have to prepare for facing a trial of strength very soon. The BJP has a strength of 105 including the speaker and the magic number to survive the trial will be 106.
The Yeddyurappa government would again be pushed to the brink as another independent Varthur Prakash, who had voted with the BJP during the last trust vote, is notorious for changing his loyalties by the day. If he changes his loyalty again, then it could be disastrous for Yeddyurappa.
Desperate, the BJP is looking at speaker KG Bopaiah for a respite.
According to sources, Yeddyurappa could be saved if the speaker suspends 15 opposition MLAs. It may be recalled that a house committee has recommended the suspension of the 15 MLAs for their unruly behaviour during the trust vote on October 11, 2010 in the assembly. Such a move is expected to plunge the state into further political turmoil as the opposition has threatened to quit en masse in such an eventuality.
