CM B S Yediyurappa asks Council Chairman to quit, hits out at Congress

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa asked Legislative Council chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty to “immediately resign” as he no longer enjoyed the support of the JD(S) in the upper house.

Shetty was elected chairman with the support of the Congress-JD(S) combine last year. Political equations have since changed with the JD(S) having become cosy with the BJP.

“The JD(S) had openly said that it no longer supported the Congress and that it was with the BJP. After knowing that it had no majority, it was the Congress’s duty to get the chairman to resign,” Yediyurappa told reporters.

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The BJP, with the help of the JD(S), wanted to dislodge Shetty through a no-confidence motion that was moved last week.

“Once a no-confidence motion is tabled, according to legalities and experts, (Shetty) is not eligible to take the chair,” Yediyurappa pointed out.

Till Monday evening, the Congress was under the impression that it had enough numbers in the upper house along with the JD(S) to thwart the BJP’s no-confidence motion. But, the Legislative Council witnessed ugly scenes earlier in the day when the Deputy Chairman S L Dharmegowda of the JD(S) took the chair even before Shetty arrived and the bell was still ringing. That’s when the Congress realized that the JD(S) was in on the BJP’s plan. Congress MLCs dragged Dharmegowda out from the chair.

“The JD(S) had made it clear that the deputy chairman will be seated. If (we) didn’t have a majority, (Shetty) would have continued. So, it’s not a question of whether the bell was ringing. The question is, does the Congress have a majority?” Yediyurappa asked.

“A deputy chairman being dragged by his neck is unprecedented in India’s history. There’s no better example to show the Congress’s culture. At least now, the chairman should throw his resignation and leave,” Yediyurappa asserted.

All BJP and JD(S) MLCs will head to Raj Bhavan and petition Governor Vajubhai R Vala on the developments, Yediyurappa added.