In the midst of a raging political war with the ruling BJP government in the south Indian state of Karnataka, governor H R Bhardwaj on Wednesday said chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has a massive majority and there is no doubt about it.
Sharing the stage with the chief minister at a government function, the first occasion for them to come together in the last one week after the Supreme Court verdict that sparked off a crisis for the government, he sought to play down differences between the two.
However, Bhardwaj scoffed at BJP''s demand for his recall, saying he was subject to the doctrine of pleasure as governor and he cannot be recalled by any person except the President who appointed him.
"I am conscious of this fact that I have to act fully in accordance with the Constitution," he said participating in the golden jubilee function of the Karnataka Public Service Commission.
Yeddyurappa, who returned from Delhi this morning after participating in Bharatiya Janata Party''s (BJP) high voltage campaign against Bhardwaj for his recommendation for imposition of President''s Rule in the state, was seen in a relaxed mood with both often seen exchanging notes at the stage.
"It must be understood that the chief minister is the elected representative of the state. Massive majority he has got, nobody ever disputes and we are friends. These political tensions are irrelevant. We have to dedicate ourselves to the constitution and to the laws," the Governor said in his speech.
He said as far as he was concerned he had no plans of doing anything wrong but "my hands are tied by constitution".
Bhardwaj said he wants his government in Karnataka to be a government of reputation.
Quoting from the Upanishad, he said, "A guest is like god and as Governor, he is the guest of the state".
In the last two days in New Delhi, BJP delegations have met the prime minister and president Pratibha Patil demanding rejection of Bhardwaj''s recommendation for president''s rule in the state and demanded his recall.
The chief minister is to meet the governor and press for an assembly session to prove his majority. .
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Centre's decision on my recommendation today or tomorrow: Guv
Karnataka governor H R Bhardwaj on Wednesday today told chief minister B S Yeddyurappa that he expects the centre's decision on his recommendation for imposition of President's rule in the state by Thursday.
Apparently awaiting the Centre's move, Bhardwaj asked Yeddyurappa to wait for a day or two for his decision on the state cabinet recommendation for convening the assembly from June 2.
A ministerial delegation, led by Yeddyurappa, met the governor at Raj Bhavan and requested him to give approval for convening the assembly session, which the cabinet on May 16 said was necessary to pass the full budget for better implementation of the development programmes.
Earlier, vote on account for four months (till July 31, 2011) had been approved by the Karnataka legislature.
Yeddyurappa said Bhardwaj told the delegation that a clear response has not come from the Centre on his recommendation and he expects it today or tomorrow.
The governor told the chief minister to "wait for one day (regarding consent for the session)."
Yeddyurappa said the governor assured him that he would "let us know his decision (on convening of the session) in a day or two."
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Yeddy to meet guv, ask him to convene assembly session
Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa today said he would meet governor H R Bhardwaj soon to request him to convene the session of the state Assembly early next month.
"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 here before leaving for Bangalore.
He said it was for the second time that the state Cabinet has recommended the session dates.
"I hope today he is going to take a right decision and allow us to commence the Assembly session from June 2," he said.
The chief minister refused to comment on the governor questioning the decision of the speaker disqualifying 16 MLAs ahead of a crucial vote of confidence that Yeddyurappa narrowly survived.
"I need not say anything. I will discuss with the Governor and only then I will get back to you," he said.
BJP has demanded the recall of the governor after he recommended imposition of president's rule in the state.
The party has claimed that it has the support of 121 MLAs in the 224-member Karnataka assembly.
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Guv defends action, says Constitutional breakdown in K'taka
Facing attacks for recommending imposition of president's rule in Karnataka, governor H R Bhardwaj today defended his action saying it stemmed from "breakdown" of constitutional mechanism and rejected ruling BJP's charge that he recommended dismissal of Yeddyurappa government despite its majority.
With questions raised over his action and BJP bringing him in the line of fire demanding his recall, Bhardwaj rejected as "baseless" the impression that he recommended President's rule on the ground the government had lost majority in the wake of the Supreme Court quashing disqualification of 16 MLAs.
As BJP took the fight against the governor to the Rashtrapathi Bhavan parading its MLAs, Bhardwaj said constitutional mechanism "broke down" due to tampering with the assembly's composition in an "unconstitutional manner" prior to the trust vote on October 12, 2010.
Eleven BJP rebel MLAs and five independents, who withdrew support to Yeddyurappa government, were disqualified by speaker K G Bopaiah on October 10 last ahead of the trust vote faced by the chief minister.
"First of all, an impression is being created that despite the government enjoying, the support of the majority of the members of the assembly, the Governor submitted the report for invoking the provisions of Article 356 (1) of the constitution on the ground that the government lost the majority. This is completely baseless," a Raj Bhavan communique said.
The intervention of the Article 356 (1) of the constitution was called for whenever there was a breakdown of constitutional mechanism, he said defending his May 15 special report to the centre recommending dismissal of the BJP government.
He said the Speaker, "in collusion" with the Chief Minister, had "distorted" the character and composition of the Assembly for "extraneous" reasons on October 10 by disqualifying 16 members hours before the crucial floor test the next day.
Stating that "misgivings" had been created in the minds of the public about the nature and the rationale of his special report, the communique said the Governor was clarifying the matter to take the people into confidence.
Bhardwaj also noted that the Supreme court had held in its recent judgement that "unless it was to ensure that the trust vote did not go against the Chief Minister, there was no conceivable reason for the Speaker to have taken up the disqualification application in such a great hurry".
The communique said Bhardwaj recommended president's rule after examining the apex court judgment and its implications and the various other developments in the recent months.
Hitting out at BJP, which is demanding his recall, for taking to the streets, Bhardwaj said whenever such a situation arises, it was the Governor's Constitutional responsibility to submit a report on all such matters.