No salaries for Government staff ?

Bengaluru: BJP State leaders, who thought that the collapse of the H.D. Kumaraswamy Government had cleared all the hurdles for them to form the next Government, are taken by surprise now as there were still glitches that need to be resolved. 

One of the glitches is Speaker’s pending decision on the resignation of rebel Congress and JD(S) Legislators and petitions seeking their disqualification. The second glitch is that the BJP has won a majority as the number has reduced in the Assembly. The party is yet to prove its majority in the 224-member Assembly. In order to form the Government, BJP will have to have 113 members in its favour. And Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala has asked the BJP leaders to furnish a list of 113 MLAs who are in BJP’s favour. 

Meanwhile, Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar predicted a Constitutional crisis in the State. “We will be unable to withdraw funds from the State exchequer if the Government is not formed by July end,” he told reporters this morning. He said that there was an urgent need to approve the Finance Bill so there would be funds to disburse salaries of Government employees.

BJP party workers and even MLAs earlier were of the view that the party leaders would approach the Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the next Government. However, the decision taken by BJP Central leaders to go cautiously prevented them  from initiating the process related to Government formation. 

In another development, rebel JD(S) MLA A.H. Vishwanath’s son Amith Devarahatti met State BJP Chief B.S. Yeddyurappa at his residence this morning. 

Also, Interim CM H.D. Kumaraswamy met senior Congress leader R. Ramalinga Reddy to thank him for his co-operation. The meet was not political, said Reddy. “Ramalinga Reddy showed his loyalty by withdrawing his resignation,” added Kumaraswamy. 

BJP leader Jagadish Shettar said in New Delhi: “We met BJP President Amit Shah and Working President J.P. Nadda regarding the political scenario in Karnataka and formation of BJP Government and steps to be taken. We want to discuss again this afternoon at 3 pm and take a final decision in the Parliamentary Board meeting.”