BS Yeddyurappa, the CM of Karnataka for eight days, announced his resignation even before the confidence vote which he was sure to lose was put to vote.
Like the PM had done in 1996, the Karnataka CM quits before the trust motion is put to vote
BANGALORE: BS Yeddyurappa, the chief minister of Karnataka for eight days, announced his resignation even before the confidence vote which he was sure to lose was put to vote in the legislative assembly on Monday morning.
Even while the opposition Congress and some Independents were criticising the reunion of the BJP-JD(S), Yeddyurappa headed straight to Raj Bhavan and tendered his resignation.
Though the JD(S) leaders say that BJP’s adamant stand in not signing a 12-point agreement was the sole reason for deciding not to support the trust vote, quite a few socio-political calculations are behind the fall of the saffron party’s first government in the south.
Former prime minister JD(S) supreme HD Deve Gowda made a trip to Delhi last Wednesday and presented the draft of an agreement to the BJP leadership.
He insisted that the BJP should sign it, failing which the JD(S) would vote against the trust vote on Monday.
The terms of agreement included handing over urban development and mines and geology departments to the JD(S). Another clause was to exclude Sriramulu, a close associate of Janardhan Reddy who had levelled Rs 150-crore bribery allegations against Gowda’s son and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy from the new ministry.
Gowda’s game plan became clearer only on Sunday, when he told the JD(S) legislators not to support the trust vote if the BJP reused to sign the agreement.
On Monday morning he issued a whip to the MLAs to this effect. When the legislators hesitated, Gowda promised to form an alternative government, hinting that the Congress would support it.
Some JD(S) MLAs openly expressed their displeasure and hinted that they might leave the party after voting against the trust vote. But Gowda was unfazed.
On the other hand, Yeddyurappa had a tough time, holding meetings with his party MLAs and senior BJP leader Yashwanth Sinha on the course of action.
By the time the Assembly met on Monday morning it was clear that the JD(S) had already walked out of the coalition.
Speaking to reporters after his resignation, Yeddyurappa said the contention of JD(S) was to get urban development and mines and geology departments.
``I could have saved the government, if I buckled under their pressure. But I was not ready to deviate from the original agreement between BJP and JD(S) that had been reached 21 months ago,’’ he added.
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