After the House witnessed massive protest by the Karnataka coalition government over the Supreme Court’s seemingly confusing order on parties issuing whips, it was adjourned to Friday (July 19). The House also saw constant filibustering with an obvious intent to buy more time.
Bengaluru: The ruling coalition of Congress and JD(S) has won round 1 of the vote of confidence motion. The motion which was moved by chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in the morning, had to be put to vote, but consistent filibustering by the ruling coalition combined with unruly behaviour ensured the House being adjourned to Friday (July 19).
The ruling coalition had come prepared with its plan of buying time with the way its leaders – from former CM Siddaramaiah to KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao – openly expressing their intent and beseeching the Speaker not to put the motion to vote.
But for what reason?
Well, both the leaders had no qualms about it. They openly declared that the top court needed to clarify on the issue of violating the issue of whip which, they said, the parties had the right to.
In fact, it was Siddaramaiah who hijacked the morning as he wantonly dragged his speech, making reference to things which did not have a "direct bearing on the agenda" of the vote of confidence motion.
By the afternoon, the Congress leaders masterfully dealt with the issue, with Congress leaders RV Deshpande and Krishna Byre Gowda expressing their dissatisfaction over the Governor’s message to the Speaker, asking him to “consider the proceedings” by the end of day.
Meanwhile, a supposedly neutral Speaker was at the receiving end with the BJP members, Madhuswamy, the BJP MLA from Chikkanayakanahalli, accusing him playing partisan. Fuming at this allegation, the Speaker adjourned the house for some time.
Later, he met advocate general Uday Holla for some legal advice on the issue.
Meanwhile, Congress members had deftly handled the issue of Shrimant Patil, the Congress MLA from Kagwad who was found admitted to a hospital in Mumbai. The Congress alleged that he was kidnapped by the BJP.
While the House has been adjourned, the BJP will stay at the House overnight as a mark of protest, while all the three parties in question (Congress, BJP and Speaker Ramesh Kumar) are mulling approaching the Supreme Court to get clarity over parties issuing a whip.
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