What is the background to the crisis in Karnataka?
In the 2018 Karnataka state assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) fought and campaigned against each other. No political party won a decisive victory. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 105 seats out of the total 225 seats and staked claim to power. While BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa was sworn-in as chief minister, the Supreme Court made it clear that he could not appoint any minister until he proved his majority. Yeddyurappa resigned, as the BJP failed to secure the numbers needed to cross the majority mark. The Congress and JD(S) stitched a post-poll alliance. The Congress, with 78 seats and JD(S) with 37 seats, formed a coalition government with H.D. Kumaraswamy of JD(S) as chief minister.
When did trouble begin?
The trouble in the coalition government began when, denied ministerial berths, some disgruntled members threatened to side with the BJP. But the chief minister placated them by expanding the cabinet. However, at a public platform, Kumaraswamy revealed the struggles he was facing to keep the coalition together. As two Congress MLAs spoke against the government, the party took action and served them notices.
How was the BJP involved?
Upset with the party, 10 Congress MLAs were accused of wanting to join the BJP. A BJP leader claimed that 15 MLAs of the Congress and JD(S) had approached his party to join it. But the ruling party combine alleged the BJP was conspiring to topple the government using unconstitutional measures.
Who rebelled first?
Early this year, two independent candidates, R. Shankar and H. Nagesh, withdrew support from the coalition government and joined the BJP. They soon retraced their steps and rejoined the government. Subsequently, Shankar joined the Congress. In February, seven MLAs from the Congress and one from the JD(S) skipped assembly elections. The ruling party accused BJP of luring their MLAs with Rs300 million (Dh16 million) to Rs400 million bribe and kidnapping them. It was alleged that the MLAs were camping in a Mumbai hotel.
What followed thereafter?
Congress MLA Umesh Jadhav resigned and joined the BJP, only to contest the Lok Sabha elections in May. He won from Gulbarga constituency. The poor performance of Congress in the Lok Sabha elections created further trouble, as some rebel candidates became open in their attacks against the government. On July 1, crisis loomed large with the resignations of JD(S) MLA Anand Singh and Congress MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi. Even as Jarkiholi was suspended from the party for anti-party activities, within a week 12 more MLAs, both from the Congress and JD(S) submitted their resignations.
What happened at the Speaker’s chamber?
Eight Congress members and three JD(S) members (including Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi) marched to Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s office to submit their resignations. Some MLAs claimed the total number of MLAs who resigned was 14. These MLAs met Governor Vajubhai Vala and apprised him about their resignations. The MLAs later left for Mumbai in a chartered plane, reportedly belonging to a company Jupiter Capital owned by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekar. They are holed up in a Mumbai five-star hotel.
What did the chief minister do?
Kumaraswamy cut short his personal trip to the US and returned to Karnataka. The Congress too held meetings, trying to find ways to persuade the rebel MLAs to withdraw their resignations. At the same time, it tried to ensure other MLAs did not follow them.
What did the Speaker do?
The Speaker ruled that out of 13, eight resignation letters were not in order. He said he had written to the MLAs concerned that if they wish to resign, the documents should be in order. The remaining five MLAs were asked to visit and discuss their resignations with him personally, ensuring that he would follow the Constitution in discharging his duties. He also wrote to the Speaker that none of the 13 MLAs had met him.
How did Mumbai come into the picture?
The high-level drama took place in Mumbai, as Congress troubleshooter and Karnataka minister DK Shivakumar reached Mumbai on a special flight to meet the rebel MLAs. However, apprehending his visit, the MLAs wrote to the Mumbai Police to provide them security and prevent the minister from meeting them. When Shivakumar reached the hotel, the police did not allow him to meet the MLAs, claiming they felt threatened. The hotel also cancelled his reservation, citing ‘emergency’ circumstances.
Why did the matter reach the Supreme Court?
The MLAs moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Speaker’s decision of declaring their resignations invalid. Meanwhile, BJP’s state unit president Yeddyurappa said he would meet the Speaker and raise the issue as to why Shivakumar tore the resignation letters of some rebel MLAs inside the Speaker’s office. In the meantime, the figure of rebel MLAs, who have resigned, has reached 16.
What is the BJP saying?
Sensing a chance to oust the present government and form its own, the BJP has upped the ante, claiming it has nothing to do with the mass resignations in Congress and JD(S). It has mounted pressure on the Speaker for not accepting the resignations.
