The new Congress government in Karnataka on Monday slammed the five-year Bharatiya Janata Party rule, saying public money has been swindled and esteem of the state lowered by scams and corruption cases.
A delegation of Congress leaders from Karnataka on Saturday met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh demanding immediate appropriate action on Governor H R Bhardwaj's report to the Centre recommending dismissal of the B S Yeddyurappa government in the state.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who sent his resignation to Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Gadkari on Sunday morning, told senior party leaders that he will send his resignation to Governor H T Bhardwaj on one condition -- that the party announce his choice of candidate as his successor.
Sadananda Gowda resigned as the chief minister of Karnataka on Wednesday and Jagadish Shettar met Governor H R Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan to stake his claim to form the new government. Shettar will be sworn in as the new Karnataka CM on Thursday. However, the crisis is not yet over for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state.
With the Bharatiya Janata Party threatening to take to the streets in Karnataka, the Centre is likely to formally convey to Governor H R Bhardwaj rejection of his recommendation for imposition of President's rule in the state.
In a move that could trigger a fresh confrontation, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka on Wednesday asked Governor H R Bhardwaj to drop the proceedings initiated on a petition seeking sanction to prosecute Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa and Home Minister R Ashoka in connection with alleged land scams.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde has decided to withdraw his resignation."If Governor H R Bhardwaj gives me an appointment, I will meet him on Sunday to withdraw my resignation," Hegde told reporters on Saturday.The top anti-corruption official had resigned to protest the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government's inaction about several of his reports, specially the one about the illegal mining lobby operating in Karnataka.
The three Karnataka ministers, who are in the midst of illegal mining controversy, on Monday contended before the Election Commission that Governor H R Bhardwaj had no authority to refer to it the petition seeking their disqualification from the state legislature.
"Let them take their time. I will not interfere or else all you people in the media will blame and target me for forming or pulling down a government," the Governor told media persons.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday said he would meet Governor H R Bhardwaj soon to request him to convene the session of the state assembly early in June. "I will meet the governor along with a few of my Cabinet colleagues to request him to allow us to start the assembly session," Yeddyurappa said in Delhi, before leaving for Bangalore.He said it was for the second time that the state Cabinet has recommended the session dates.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Friday called on Governor H R Bhardwaj, who is gunning for the removal of Reddy brothers from the state ministry, and conveyed the government's stand against a CBI inquiry into the illegal mining scam at this stage.
Ruling the Bhartiya Janata Party suffered a fresh setback in poll-bound Karnataka with two more ministers quitting the Jagadish Shettar cabinet on Thursday, amid indications that they would join the Congress.
"We have met Governor H R Bhardwaj and requested him to recommend to the Central government to dissolve the Assembly and dismiss the state government under Article 356 for failing to govern as per Constitutional laws," opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah told media persons.
Ending his 11-month tenure, D V Sadananda Gowda on Wednesday resigned as the Karnataka chief minister, paving the way for Jagadish Shettar to take over, but not before dramatic scenes were witnessed with his supporters trying to physically prevent him from stepping down.
Rejecting the recommendation for appointing former Kerala high court Chief Justice S R Bannurmath as Karnataka Lokayukta, Governor H R Bhardwaj on Wednesday asked the Bharatiya Janata Party government to find another judge not entangled in any controversy.
Karnataka high court on Tuesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation, charging Governor H R Bhardwaj, Home Minister R Asoka, Bharatiya Janata Party member of parliament Ananth Kumar and former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde with conspiring to unseat former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa when he was in power.
D V Sadananda Gowda is all set to assume charge as new Karnataka chief minister on Thursday even as there was disquiet in the rival camp which lost out in the bitterly fought secret ballot.
Stepping up pressure on Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Governor H R Bhardwaj on Saturday appeared to suggest a trial of strength for the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the wake of the Supreme Court quashing the Speaker's decision to disqualify rebel party MLAs.
Battling challenges and threats of being toppled, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, heading the first-ever Bharatiya Janata Party government in the south, is all set to complete three years in office on Monday.
Karnataka Lokayukta Justice N Santhosh Hegde, whose resignation was rejected by Governor H R Bhardwaj on Thursday, has refused to reconsider his decision.Speaking about his telephonic conversation with Home Minister P Chidambaram, Justice Hegde said it was merely a courtesy call. "He has every right to call me since we have been friends since the past 40 years. He was obviously taken aback by my decision to quit so suddenly," he said.
'Sonia Gandhi can't rejuvenate the party, her heir is fodder for stand-up comedians, and nobody in the Congress has the guts to question the Nehru-Gandhis.'