Governor didn't ask to prove majority: Shettar

Bangalore, Jan 25: Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar Friday met Governor H.R. Bhardwaj and said he has not been asked to prove his majority though 13 BJP legislators have quit the assembly.

"The governor brought to my notice the resignation of the 13 legislators. I have assured him that I have the majority and that there is no problem for the government," Shettar told reporters. Ahead of the meeting, Bhardwaj had said that "if necessary I will direct the chief minister to prove his majority."

Shettar said Bhardwaj had accepted the government's invitation to address the joint sitting of the legislature Feb 4. The 10-day session is the first this year and it is customary for the governor to address it detailing the government's programme for the year.

Shettar is scheduled to present the budget for 2013-14 Feb 8. Bhardwaj asked Shettar to meet him following the decision of the 13 legislators, all loyalists of former BJP chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, to quit the assembly.

Their decision to quit is part of a plan to prevent Shettar from presenting the budget. Yeddyurappa, who quit the BJP and the assembly Nov 30 to head the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), wants Shettar's ministers to resign and not go in for the budget session as elections are due in May.

C.M. Udasi and Shobha Karandlaje, who resigned from the Shettar ministry Wednesday, are among the 13 legislators. The resignation of the 13 legislators, which the speaker has no option but to accept, would bring down the BJP's strength to 105, including the speaker, in the 225-member assembly.

Of the 225, 224 are elected and one is a nominated member. The effective strength of the assembly now is 223 as two -- Yeddyurappa and another BJP legislator Haladi Srinivas Shetty -- have quit.

The BJP has the support of one of the seven independent members who is a cabinet minister. The party is said to be wooing the other six independents to back it.

The Congress has 71 members and the Janata Dal-Secular 26. The two parties are also opposing Shettar's move to present the budget. While the speaker and his office have remained silent on his whereabouts, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Appachu Ranjan said that he had gone abroad and would return Jan 28.

Bangalore, Jan 25: Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj today indicated that he might ask Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly in the wake of 13 ruling BJP MLAs announcing their decision to quit the House membership.

"I have already summoned the assembly on February 4 (for Budget session) and if I feel that this government has come into minority, then I will order him (Shettar) to prove his majority at the first instance before transacting any business," Bhardwaj told reporters here.

Seeking to push the government into a crisis, 13 MLAs loyal to Karnataka Janata Party chief B S Yeddyurappa had gone in a delegation on Wednesday to meet Speaker K G Bopaiah to submit their resignation from assembly membership but in vain as he was not in station. Enraged over this, they had submitted copies of their resignation letters to Bhardwaj.

The governor said he has received letters (copies) from Yeddyurappa and also the MLAs.

Bhardwaj said the Chief Minister would "possibly" meet him today and "so I will confront him with what has been given to me (assembly records) and if necessary I will ask him to prove his majority."

"In the meantime, I have dictated my orders that this is a split in the political party of the BJP. So you study the relative strength of the party in the assembly. But assembly records were not with me. Therefore, I summoned the records. So I will see what is the strength.."

Bhardwaj said neither Shettar nor Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister R Ashok were in the city and he contacted them and told them about the developments and sought their response.

The governor said he is following the procedure laid down by the Supreme Court in the S R Bommai case.

"So this is the broad thinking in my mind and except this, I cannot talk to the Speaker. The Speaker is an independent office and he is not in town."

He said since the Speaker was not in town, he had not sent any communication to him. "I have sent (communication) to the government and told the chief minister to immediately contact the speaker and it is the duty of the government to transact business and government has to arrange for his presence."

Asked if there was a constitutional crisis and government should continue in office, he said, "There is constitutional law which applies straightaway that the governor has to send the matter to the floor of the House. I am thinking on that line."

In the 225-member Assembly, BJP has a strength of 117 excluding speaker and it requires 113 for a simple majority. Congress has 71 members and JDS 26. There are seven Independents and two vacancies. One member is nominated.