By IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa faces the most difficult assembly session in his two-year rule as it starts Monday in the backdrop of the Lok Ayukta (ombudsman) resigning over “the government’s indifference to fighting corruption”.
The resignation by N. Santosh Hegde, a retired Supreme Court judge, a year ahead of completion of his five-year term as Lok Ayukta, and the inadequate rehabilitation of north Karnataka people hit by last year’s floods will dominate the month-long session.
Another controversial issue to rock the 225-member house will be the bill to ban cow slaughter.
Yeddyurappa’s scathing attack on the opposition for ‘obstructing’ development, made at a public meeting here June 25 to mark his two years in office, has angered the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular who intend to take him on the charges against them.
The two parties are meeting Tuesday to plan floor-coordination to corner the first Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state on Hegde’s resignation, poor flood rehabilitation work, the grim power situation and the ban on cow slaughter.
On Monday, the house will adjourn after obituary references.
The Congress has announced it will move an adjournment motion on Hegde leaving the office charging the government with ‘ignoring, over-ruling and being indifferent’ to his suggestions to fight corruption.
State Congress president R.V. Deshpande said in Bangalore Saturday that the party was also considering moving a resolution to request Hegde to withdraw his resignation.
Yeddyurappa has indicated that he will not coax Hegde to take back the resignation. A day after Hegde put in his papers June 23, the chief minister told reporters: “I thank him for the good work. I do no want to embarrass him by asking him to reconsider the decision.”
The chief minister is confident of defeating Congress plans as BJP has a comfortable majority in the 225-member house with 116 of its own members and the support of six independents, five of whom are cabinet ministers.
The Congress has 74 members and the JD-S 27.
“Let them discuss these issues in the house instead of making false accusations against my government to mislead the people,” Yeddyurappa told mediapersons in response to opposition plans for the assembly.