Everyone who should be impartial is partial in Karnataka

The drama of a trust vote in Karnataka is over and BJP’s B.S.Yeddyurappa Government has been saved by the skin at the intervention of Speaker K.G.Bopaiah. By a simple voice vote, claiming the support of 106 members, apparently the government secured trust vote, maybe in a tainted way.

The Speaker early morning disqualified 11 rebel BJP MLAs and five independents. They were not allowed to enter the precincts of the Assembly. Some of the independents had barged in but they were restrained by security people, including the police. What a shame, the police had to be called in at the sacred precincts of the Assembly.

Does the Speaker has the power to disqualify independents at all? Can disqualification proceedings commence before the members defy the party whip?
Governor H.R.Bharadwaj had issued an advisory to the Speaker to allow all the members to participate in the trust vote. But that advice was not taken kindly by the Speaker.

Now the dissidents are planning to move the court against the tainted trust vote.
Meanwhile, the BJP has called for the recall of the Governor who is allegedly pro-Congress.

In Karnataka, the political situation is quite confusing.