After the long drama and at least five failed attempts over the last 14 months, the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka was finally defeated in the confidence motion by six votes —the coalition government got 99 votes. While BJP had received 105 votes and all the BJP MLAs were present, 17 coalition MLAs were missing. Just after the voting, HD Kumaraswamy submitted his resignation to the Governor. Although B S Yeddyurappa is the natural Chief Minister candidate for the BJP, his fate will be decided by Home Minister Amit Shah led high command of the BJP. At the same time the speaker KR Ramesh will decide the fate of rebel MLAs before the oath taking ceremony of the new chief minister. Meanwhile, the lone MLA from the Bahujan Samaj Party in Karnataka was expelled by Mayawati for abstaining from voting. Mayawati said: “BSP legislator N Mahesh was absent in trust vote, which is indispensable. If the present Speaker could not take a decision before the oath ceremony, the new BJP chief minister will definitely bring a new Speaker to give decisions regarding the rebel MLAs.
CHANGES IN BJP PARTY ORGANISATION AFOOT
If senior Congress leaders are to be believed, the Congress will soon have a new chief, a consensus candidate. No election there. However, it’s in the BJP that many changes are expected in the next two months, when J P Nadda’s role as party chief gets formalised. Old RSS hand Ramlal’s replacement with V Satish is just the beginning. Satish is considered a hard working self-effacing RSS hand, not very much younger than Ramlal. So why the latter was shifted out of the BJP, after a 12-year stint to a relatively low-profile position in the RSS hierarchy is still a mystery. There’s no move though to replace any of the state in-charge like Muralidhar Reddy who enjoys the trust of the top duo, PM Modi and Amit Shah.
OPPOSITION TO MEET ON THE QUESTION OF ‘EVM MANIPULATION’
After meeting with a heavy defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha election, in which the Congress won only 52 seats, the party is now planning a meeting of the Opposition parties after the Budget session to discuss the future course of action on the issue of EVM. According to Congress sources, party leaders recently met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and senior Congress leader and former party president Rahul Gandhi. The Congress seems convinced that EVMs were manipulated in the Lok Sabha election. However, the Election Commission has already rejected the allegations. Some groups are trying to convince the Congress leadership that they should boycott the upcoming Assembly polls in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana if the Election Commission does not restore the ballot paper system. But Congress leadership would first like to take all the Opposition parties into confidence on this issue. MNS Chief Raj Thackeray has met Sonia Gandhi and discussed the issue.
FIRM PRIYANKA BRINGS SONBHADRA DEMANDS TO DELHI
Priyanka Gandhi is back in Delhi after meeting relatives of the Sonbhadra massacre victims from Umbha village, who travelled to Mirzapur guesthouse where Priyanka Gandhi stayed overnight without water and electricity. Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi was detained by the Mirzapur district administration, while she was on her way to Sonbhadra to meet the relatives of the 10 adivasis gunned down by upper caste men over a land dispute. Priyanka refused to bail and sat on dharna. Before leaving for Delhi she said that those officials who tried to stop her from meeting the victims family were later saying that “she was not arrested” and was “free to go”. She further said that’s he’d be back soon to meet the victims’ kin in the village and fight for their rights. Priyanka said the Sonbhadra victims’ kin have five demands: 1) Possession of the land they cultivated for decades should be given to them. 2) Trial in the firing case in a fast-track court. 3) Withdrawal of cases against the Umbha villagers. 4) Full security to the Umbha village. 5) Rs 25 lakh compensation to the kin of each of those killed in the firing. Meanwhile, the Congress has also announced to give them Rs 10 lakh each.
FINANCE MINISTRY BAN WON’T BE EXTENDED: AMIT SHAH
Journalists are finding it tough to get exclusive news breaks since the usual sources are fearful of being seen talking to journalists for the last two weeks, from when the Finance Ministry restricted access to PIB accredited newspersons at its North Block office. Many Delhi journalists feel this could be the prelude to a blanket ban on journalists in all government offices and even in Parliament’s central hall, but Home Minister Amit Shah denied such prohibitory order in the offices. Shah has assured the reporters that he would not prohibit their entry. He said:“I am a large-hearted man; I do not impose such restrictions.” (IPA)
Weekly Round-Up of Major Decisions of the Courts in India as also Legal Policy Developments 