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Coalition govt in Karnataka shaky as two Karnataka Congress MLAs resign; BJP lies in wait
The shaky coalition government in Karnataka suffered a setback today (Monday, July 1) with two Congress MLAs resigning from the state assembly.
Congress MLA from Vijayanagar, Anand Singh and Ramesh Jarkiholi from Gokak in Belagavi district submitted their resignation letters.
“Yes. I have resigned. Today morning, I submitted the resignation,” Singh was quoted as saying by PTI. The MLA refused to disclose the reason behind his step. He met the Governor Vajubhai Vala to inform him about his decision and submitted his resignation letter.
Hours later, Jarkiholi stepped down and submitted his regination letter to the Assembly Speaker.
The BJP in Karnataka was watching the situation and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa hinted at exploring possibilities of forming a government if the Congress-JD(S) coalition government falls before completing its term.
“Even I have heard about his (Anand Singh’s) resignation through media. We don’t want to destabilise the government… If the government falls on own its own, we will explore the possibilities of forming the new government but there is no question of fresh elections,” Yeddyurappa was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Reports of Singh’s resignations have triggered speculations of BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ being back in the fray ahead of the legislature session which is scheduled from July 12.
‘Operation Lotus’ refers to the BJP’s strategy during Yeddyurappa’s previous tenure as the chief minister when it made several MLAs of other parties to resign and contest the elections on the party’s ticket and win to strengthen its numbers in the assembly.
It is speculated that Anand Singh would join the BJP now. He had recently held a press conference in Ballari against the sale of 3,667 acres of land to JSW Steel in which he had hinted that he would step down.
When told that Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar was yet to confirm his resignation, Singh reportedly said, “Is it so? Then I will resign again.”
The speaker, however, denied having received any resignation. “I have not received any resignation. Nobody had approached me to give me any resignation,” he said, according to The Indian Express (IE).
Taking to Twitter, JD(S) leader and Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, who is presently in the US, said he was aware of the political developments in the state.
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“The foundation laying of Kalabhairaveshwara Temple is going on at New Jersey under the aegis of Swamiji. I am watching all the developments from here. BJP is daydreaming to destabilise the government,” he tweeted.
Reports were rife that at least six more MLAs from Congress would also rebel against their party.
“Anand Singh resignation is shocking to me… I spoke to the Chief Minister. There is no problem in the coalition government,” senior Karnataka Congress leader and minister DK Shivakumar said.
Anand Singh was hospitalised in January this year after he was allegedly thrashed and abused by another lawmaker during their stay at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru where Congress legislators had been taken for safe-keeping. It was said that Singh had been involved in dissident activity but that he was convinced to stay with the party at that time.
The Congress has been fighting dissidence since the beginning of the year, with several Congress legislators openly critical of the party and staying away from legislature party meets that had been called.
One of the leaders, Umesh Jadhav, quit the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha election and won the Kalaburagi seat for the BJP, defeating Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge. Another senior Congress legislator, Roshan Baig, was suspended from the party last month for his open and strong criticism of senior party colleagues.
Two independents were taken into the cabinet last month in a bid to give some sense of stability to the coalition.
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Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moves Women’s Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha, says census, delimitation necessary
Congress MP Rajneeth Ranjan stated that they want rights, adding that women don’t want to be pitied.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Addressing the house, the Union Law Minister noted that census and delimitation are necessary for the quota bill. He further expressed that the historic bill would bring equality to women.
The Union Law Minister underlined that through the Constitutional Amendment Bill, a section will be inserted in Article 330, Article 332 and Article 334. Through these, 1/3rd of the seats will be reserved in Lok Sabha and all State Assemblies of the country, he continued. Arjun Ram Meghwal further hailed that this bill is a major step ahead.
Initiating a debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill, BJP President J P Nadda praised Prime MInister Narendra Modi for the quota bill. He mentioned that the bill will strengthen women’s empowerment. The BJP President further expressed confidence that the Women’s Reservation Bill will be passed in Rajya Sabha unanimously without any obstacles.
On the other hand, debating on the historic bill, Congress MP Rajneeth Ranjan stated that they want rights, adding that women don’t want to be pitied. Referring to the name of bill, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the Congress MP remarked that the government should not bow down to them, but provide them equal rights and equal opportunities.
As far as reports are concerned, the Rajya Sabha will allocate seven and a half hours for the bill’s discussion and it is widely expected to receive approval in the Upper House. After the bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha, it will require the approval of the majority of state assemblies. Notably, the implementation of the historic bill will occur following a delimitation exercise based on census data completion. Reportedly, this is the seventh attempt to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
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Women Reservation Bill: Here’s a look at 20 states with 50% quota for women in panchayats, municipalities
At present, there are 15 lakh elected women representatives in panchayats and municipalities across the country.
Taking a significant step ahead, the Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha during the special session of the Parliament on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the Opposition to unanimously pass the bill, Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The Women’s Reservation bill was stuck for almost three decades.
While the Women’s Reservation Bill that seeks to provide a 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies remained stuck, around 20 states witnessed 50% reservations for women in local government bodies. As far as reports are concerned, at present, there are 15 lakh elected women representatives in panchayats and municipalities across the country.
States like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have made provisions for 50% reservation of women in Panchayati Raj Institutions in their respective State Panchayati Raj Acts.
Evidently, the move for reservation for women in local bodies dates back to 1992 and 1993, when the then prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao reintroduced the Constitution Amendment Bills 72 and 73, which reserved one third (33%) of all seats and chairperson posts for women in rural and urban local bodies. The Bills were passed by both the houses. Earlier, in May 1989, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi introduced the Constitution Amendment Bill to provide one-third reservation for women in rural and urban local bodies. The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha but failed to get passed in Rajya Sabha in September 1989.
Echoing the contribution of the aforesaid leaders in Women’s Reservation, several Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi, KC Venugopal took the credit of the bill. However, though the Women’s Reservation Bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha, the legislation will come into effect after the next delimitation exercise, which might be carried out after 2026. At present, only 14% of the members in the Indian Parliament are women.
Furthermore, it is to be noted that in 1988, the National Perspective Plan for Women recommended the provision of reservation for women at various political levels, from Panchayati Raj institutions to Parliament.
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Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury holds Constitution of India in hand as Congress MPs enter new Parliament building | Watch
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury emphasized the importance of the old Parliament building.
Leader of Opposition in the Parliament Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury held the Constitution of India in hand as Congress MPs including Rahul Gandhi, Gaurav Gogoi entered into the new Parliament building, designated as Parliament House of India. Following the programme at Central Hall on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with other MPs moved towards the new Parliament building.
Earlier, addressing at the Central Hall, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury emphasized the importance of the old Parliament building. He expressed that he feels elevated and elated for standing in the podium that has witnessed a caravan of historical episodes and events in the midst of the galaxy of luminaries who had racked up their brains and burned the midnight oil to frame the Constitution of India.
In addition, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury also questioned the timeframe that the Centre has set for the nation to turn into a developed nation. He asked why India cannot become a developed country before 2047. He also called for sustainable solutions and measures to resolve the nation’s issues.
Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge recalled Nehru’s ‘Tryst with Destiny’ speech, and thanked the Prime Minister for remembering it during his opening speech on Monday. Speaking at the Central Hall, the Congress President said working together is the only way to build the country. He also remembered the contributions made by Rajendra Prasad, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, BR Ambedkar, GV Malvankar, and Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan among others.
The parliamentary proceeding will now shift from the old building to the state-of-the-art new facility. Notably, the historic shift takes place on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. On the first day of the Parliament Special Session, all members of the Parliament gathered at the old Parliament building to recall their experiences there. PM Modi also paid tribute to every brick of the old Parliament building, mentioning that it would inspire the coming generations.
