The BJP on Monday launched an all-out campaign demanding the immediate recall of Karnataka governor H.R. Bhardwaj, who on Sunday had sent a “special report” to the Centre recommending dismissal of the B.S. Yeddyurappa government and imposition of President’s Rule in the state.
A delegation of top NDA leaders called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, who gave them an assurance that “nothing unconstitutional” will be done.
Mr Yeddyurappa reached New Delhi on Monday night ahead of a planned parade of 119 BJP MLAs (a majority in the House of 225) before President Pratibha Patil, which is expected to take place Tuesday evening. The chief minister has also vowed not to leave New Delhi until he has forced Mr Bhardwaj from office.
Official sources indicated the Centre appeared in no hurry to act on the governor’s recommendation. The sources said the home ministry had recieved the governor’s report and “due process” will be followed by the government in examining it. “The governor appears to have sent the report in a hurry,” a senior official said.
The sources said the MHA was looking into details of the grounds on which the governor had recommended the imposition of Article 356 and keeping the state Assembly in suspended animation. Nothing would happen soon, they added, saying a note would be prepared and put up before the Union Cabinet in due course.
An NDA delegation headed by Mr L.K. Advani met the Prime Minister and told him the governor’s report was “unconstitutional” and should not be acted upon. It also demanded that the Centre should initiate the processs of recalling the governor who, it claimed, had repeatedly “violated” the Constitution in letter and spirit. Mr Advani, briefing reporters later, said: “The PM assured us that nothing unconstitutional will be done in Karnataka.” Dr Singh told them he had not seen the report himself but that the home minister had read it.
The delegation met the PM after it was decided at a meeting of top NDA leaders on Monday morning that Mr Yeddyurappa should parade all his supporting MLAs before the President.
In Bengaluru, in a bid to raise the pressure on both the governor and the Centre, the state government also urged Mr Bhardwaj to convene a session of the Assembly in June so that it could prove its majority in the House.
The CM left Bengaluru earlier Monday after the BJP legislature party extended support to his leadership. Ironically, the last time that Mr Yeddyurappa managed to muster such support from partymen was when the governor had recommended the dismissal of his government in October last year. It is learnt that some party MLAs offered to resign from the Assembly at a meeting at the party office in Bengaluru. However, while briefing reporters, KPCC president G. Parameshwar denied this, saying they would make their stance clear after the central leaders took a decision.