BENGALURU: The Congress-JDS attempts to delay voting on the confidence motion and the Chief Minister ignoring the governor’s direction to prove majority on the floor of the House is leading to a constitutional crisis, says former CM and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar.
“They have to face the consequences,” he told The New Sunday Express.
Excerpts from the interview.
BJP is accused of being in a great hurry to form the government?
It is not a question of BJP being in a hurry, the government has been reduced to a minority. The coalition government must resign and not even wait for the vote of confidence.
The discussion on the vote of confidence was completed within one day and was put to vote on the same day in the last seven instances in the assembly. Now, they are demanding for more time to delay the process.
But even after debating it for one more day, nothing is going to change for them.
You think Congress-JDS are trying to drag the issue?
They are deliberately delaying the trust vote since they know they have lost majority in the House. Siddaramaiah says confidence motion should be taken up for debate after they get clarifications on the Supreme Court order.
They make such a demand after the Chief Minister moved the confidence motion. It is an irrational argument.
Why do you think they are delaying it?
They must give the reason. I think they just want to stay in power for as long as they can. It is a different issue if they are going to get the majority in next two-three days, but 15 MLAs are firm and have already made it clear that they are not going to come back.
The coalition did not follow the governor’s direction and has violated all constitutional norms. It is trying to waste time and that is the reason Congress leaders are saying 20 members from their party want to be part of the debate.
You think it will lead to a constitutional crisis?
The current situation is leading to a constitutional crisis and they have to face the consequences.
BJP is accused of horse-trading and taking rebel MLAs to Mumbai?
They are making such baseless allegations even after the MLAs have said they have gone on their own.