BSY took floor, then door

Ramakrishna Upadhya

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HOPELESSLY outsmarted by the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) in the numbers game, three-day-old Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Saturday announced his resignation on the floor of the Assembly even before facing the trust vote. 

As the House met at 11 am with a mandate to take up the trust vote at 4 pm, as per the orders of the Supreme Court, there was nervous tension in both camps.

Bleary-eyed Congress and JD(S) MLAs, who had travelled to and back from Hyderabad over two nights’ journey to ward off poaching, made it to the Vidhana Soudha in the morning in time for oath-taking. Pro tem Speaker KG Bopaiah set aside the convention of allowing members to take oath individually and they were huddled into groups of five to speed up the process to meet the court deadline.

While the JD(S) was able to keep its flock of 37 MLAs together, two Congress MLAs, Anand Singh and Pratapgouda Patil, had been holed up in a hotel, allegedly ‘kidnapped’ by the BJP. But both arrived in the Assembly at 3.15 pm, much to the relief of Congress benches. The BJP needed at least seven Opposition MLAs to cross-vote, or 14 MLAs to abstain from voting for the party to win the confidence vote. As the day progressed, it became increasingly clear that strategists in the BJP camp had failed to muster either of the numbers.

With the House proceedings being telecast live, as directed by the Supreme Court to ensure transparency, there was no way the BJP could indulge in any hanky-panky to claim majority through a voice vote, using the Speaker as its ally.

Earlier in the morning, the Supreme Court Bench brushed aside the Congress-JD(S) plea to replace Bopaiah as pro tem Speaker and asked the Assembly secretariat to record the proceedings. What possibly unnerved the BJP was the Congress coming up in a matter of an hour with four video recordings, allegedly involving Yeddyurappa, his son Vijayendra, Janardhana Reddy and Sriramulu, offering allurements of cash and Cabinet berths to Congress MLAs. The allegations were hotly denied by the BJP, but the damage had been done.

Realising the BJP’s game was up, Yeddyurappa got up at 3.45 pm, made an emotional speech and announced he would shortly meet Governor Vajubhai Vala and submit his resignation. With that announcement, while the BJP members trooped out of the House, Congress and JD(S) MLAs thumped the desk and began celebrating.

Shortest tenure as CM

The Congress and the JD(S) had partnered in a coalition arrangement in 2004, but it ended bitterly in less than two years as the JD(S) pulled out and later joined hands with the BJP to form another government. The next one too fell within 20 months when the JD(S) refused to honour its commitment to hand over power to BS Yeddyurappa of the BJP. Thus, Yeddyurappa became a CM with the shortest tenure in Karnataka’s history. His earlier two stints too had lasted seven days and 39 months.

‘PM is corruption’ 

The PM authorised, encouraged buying off MLAs. He talks of fighting corruption, but he is corruption. People saw how BJP MLAs, Speaker left the House before the national anthem was played. It shows they don’t respect institutions. Rahul Gandhi, Cong Chief

‘Surrender deal’ 

There is a surrender deal by Congress with JD(S) that don’t inquire into our corruption. Prime Minister has done no corruption, while the Congress is synonymous with corruption. We started the process of transparency, which they are opposing. Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister 

‘Proud day for all’

This is not an ordinary victory. Entire people of the country will be happy. It is a proud day for all of us. N Chandrababu Naidu, Andhra Pradesh CM

KARNATAKA

Yeddyurappa’s three-day stint as CM among shortest 

BJP stalwart BS Yeddyurappa’s three-day tenure as the Chief Minister of Karnataka turned out to be one of the shortest in Indian history. The 75-year-old BJP leader was sworn in as the CM on May 17 and resigned before facing the floor test on Saturday. In 2007, Yeddyurappa had to resign as the Karnataka Chief Minister after just eight days. 

Satish Prasad Singh, 5 days

Congress leader Satish Prasad Singh was made Bihar interim Chief Minister for only five days from January 28 to February 1 in 1968. He had brought the Congress back to power in the state by defeating the Jana Kranti Dal government.

Jagdambika Pal, one day

BJP leader Jagdambika Pal held the shortest tenure as Chief Minister in Uttar Pradesh in 1998. After the Kalyan Singh government was dismissed, Pal was sworn in as the Chief Minister late at night on February 21, a decision that was reversed by the high court the next morning, leading him to be dubbed as “the one-day CM”.

SC Marak, 13 days

In Meghalaya, veteran Congress leader SC Marak remained in power only for 13 days in 1998.

Janaki Ramachandran, 23 days

After the demise of MG Ramachandran — the founder of the AIADMK — in Tamil Nadu, his widow Janaki Ramachandran had a brief tenure of 23 days as the Chief Minister in January 1988.

BP Mandal, 31 days

Congress leader BP Mandal succeeded Satish Prasad Singh, who remained the Bihar Chief Minister for five days in 1968, but he too could hold on to the post for only 31 days.

CH Mohd Koya, 45 days

In Kerala, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader CH Mohammad Koya could enjoy the post of Chief Minister for 45 days in 1979. He was the shortest serving Chief Minister of the state and its only Muslim one. 

Om Prakash Chautala, 5 days

In Haryana, Indian National Lok Dal leader Om Prakash Chautala has the distinction of serving two brief terms as the Chief Minister — one of period of five days in July 1990 and the other of 14 days in 1991.

2 ‘missing’ Congress MLAs traced to hotel 

Bengaluru: Two “missing” Congress MLAs were on Saturday located at a hotel here and brought to the Karnataka Assembly by the party leaders under police protection ahead of the crucial trust vote to be sought by Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa. Anand Singh and Pratap Gouda Patil were not present in the Assembly when their names were called out for taking the oath during the special session. Based on a tip-off that they were in the hotel, the Congress issued a whip directing them to come to the House and sought police help to bring them for the floor test. PTI

Justice Sikri: Let us enjoy our holidays

New Delhi: “Now, let us enjoy our holidays,” this is how the Supreme Court concluded the hearing on the Karnataka power row on Saturday. The courtroom burst into a bout of laughter as Justice AK Sikri, who headed the three-judge Bench, made the jovial remark. The court had been witnessing tensed, high-voltage arguments during emergency hearings on the bitter power tussle in Karnataka. The Congress had moved court against the appointment of KG Bopaiah, a three-time MLA, as pro term speaker. PTI