Mayawati on Sunday had directed Mahesh to vote in favour of the Kumaraswamy government, after he had said that he would skip the trust vote in the absence of any clear instructions from the high command.
In the next two years, reveals says R Rajagopalan, Modi-Shah will make a strong effort to woo the south.
'It must have stung Devendra Fadnavis to see Modi asking MPs at the BJP parliamentary party meeting to give Yediyurappa a standing ovation for his victory in the by-elections that has resulted in pulling the BJP government in Karnataka off the ventilator,' notes Aditi Phadnis.
Gowda also said he did not know how long the Congress-JD-S government, headed by his son H D Kumaraswamy, would continue and it was in the hands of the senior coalition partner.
If it splits now, who takes what away and leaves what behind? asks Shekhar Gupta.
Kumaraswamy said he was ready for probe by even an international agency.
Portfolio sharing had turned out to be a thorny issue between the Congress and JD-S and was thrashed out after much haggling, with both parties announcing an agreement on June one.
The Congress said it will observe 'Save Democracy Day' on Friday with party workers and leaders holding protest marches at all district and state headquarters.
Rahul Gandhi aslos asked the JD-S to clarify whether it was with the BJP and the Sangh Pariwar.
Gowda said that the JDS has only joined hands with the BSP which will continue in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Political watchers believe that there is little denying the loss of face the party has suffered in its bid to rule India's richest state.
'The message they want to send to the country is that they can do anything by hook or crook'
The speaker told Kumaraswamy that "this (SIT) should not lead to a witch-hunt. The probe should be only to establish the truth."
Parliamentarians and legislators across the country voted on Monday to elect India's 15th president, choosing between opposition pick Yashwant Sinha and National Democratic Alliance nominee Droupadi Murmu who is favoured to win the battle to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Caste composition is going to be a huge determinant for winning the constituency where Vokkaligas and Lingayats constitute a vast majority, which puts Siddaramaiah in a weaker turf given that he belongs to the Kuruba community.
Capping a three-week-long high-voltage intense power struggle triggered by a raft of resignations by rebel lawmakers that pushed the government to the brink of collapse, the motion in the Karnataka Assembly was defeated with 99 members voting for the motion and 105 against it.
What is in a name? Some may ask, but Karnataka's Chief Minister-in-waiting B S Yeddyurappa will say there is lot. Because he was B S Yediyurappa sometime back. It was the name change that made him click -- at least that is what he thinks.
Losing power after having come so close, Yediyurappa was determined to regain the reins of power from H D Kumaraswamy.
'The leaders of the two parties, the rank and file, and even their respective vote banks are passionately opposed to each other.' 'At the top, between the leaders, it is personal, bitter and hostile.' 'This was not going to work. Everyone knew it.'
This has been the CM's shortest stint in power -- three days.
Speculations about the JD (S) aligning with the Congress is being fuelled to pressurise the BJP to accept the ruling party's terms and let it continue at the helm of the state.
All eyes are now on Kumar who has to take a call on the resignations tendered by 13 MLAs of the Congress and the JD-S from the assembly.
The case relates to protests near the I-T office in Bengaluru by the leaders including the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy against the income tax raids at the residence of Congress and JD-S leaders.
The thumping victory for the Congress in the by-elections in Karnataka has renewed their hope of winning 25 seats in the forthcoming parliamentary elections.
Later, the chief ministers office issued a statement where it was claimed that the comments were an emotional reaction to the incident and not orders.
The stand-off between the government and opposition continued in the assembly on Tuesday over an SIT probe into the audio clip.
"Without the knowledge of the prime minister, is it possible to do this," Kumaraswamy asked, saying Modi should come clean on the issue.
Ruptures in the opposition unity emerged barely a week after 17 parties joined hands to put up a joint candidate against the ruling National Democratic Alliance nominee for the July 17 presidential election.
While 10 persons from Karnataka have been confirmed dead, at least seven of them are said to be JD-S workers.
The Income Tax department are conducting raids at the Chinnakurli residence of Janata Dal-Secular leader and Karnataka Minor Irrigation Minister CS Puttaraju in Mandya
Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday had pitched for Hindi as a common language for the country, reigniting the debate on the issue as a section of political parties in South India said they would oppose any attempt to "impose" the language.
The Karnataka legislative assembly on Monday passed a unanimous resolution condemning the recent defacing of Shivaji Maharaj and Sangolli Rayanna's statues and burning of Kannada flag, and said such incidents will be considered as an act of sedition and strict action will be taken against those involved under 'Goonda Act.'
Kumaraswamy found himself in a raging controversy on Tuesday after a video of his telephonic instruction to "shoot mercilessly" those who had killed a Janata Dal-Secular worker in the party's stronghold of Mandya district on Monday went viral.
Eighteen ministers inducted were of cabinet rank, nine each from the Congress and JD(S). Two JD (S) members joined as ministers of state.\n
20 lawmakers did not turn up on Thursday, including 17 from the ruling coalition, 12 of whom are corralled in a hotel in Mumbai, as the House debated in a surcharged atmosphere.
'After the Parliament election results many people are confused and that is why this crisis has erupted
Political parties were bracing for the assembly election results on Thursday in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and politically volatile Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, sending out feelers for possible post-poll tie-ups.
'Who's providing all this money to the BJP? And who's providing all this money to the Congress?' 'Where did all this money come from?' 'Who is enabling all these MLAs to be bought for Rs 50, 60 crores?' 'There's one MLA on whose behalf somebody claimed that the BJP invited him for Rs 60 crores. Whose money is this?'
The coalition government is on a shaky wicket with 16 MLAs -- 13 of the Congress and three of the Janata Dal-Secular -- resigning their assembly membership. Besides, two independent legislators, who were made ministers recently to provide stability, have quit the ministry and withdrawn support.
In the second phase on April 18, 97 seats,spread across 13 states and one Union Territory, will go to the polls.
