By IANS,
Bangalore : Karnataka’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) late Sunday said it apprehends that Governor H.R. Bhardwaj has sought the dismissal of its government here and urged President Pratibha Patil to reject “the unconstitutional move”.
“We apprehend from media reports and activities of opposition parties that the governor might have recommended dismissal of our government,” BJP spokesperson and former union minister V. Dhananjaya Kumar told reporters.
Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa shot off a letter to Patil asserting “there is no constitutional crisis in the state”.
He also said that he “enjoys majority in the assembly” and hence Patil should not accept Bhardwaj’s recommendations.
The governor’s office late Sunday released a one-line communique stating Bhardwaj had sent “a special report” to the central government on the developments following the May 13 Supreme Court verdict restoring membership of 16 rebel law makers.
Of the 16, 11 were from BJP and five Independents.
The communique said: “In the context of recent judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the matter of disqualification of MLAs delivered on 13.05.2011 and its implication to the developments in the State, His Excellency the Governor of Karnataka has submitted a special report to Government of India this evening.”
In New Delhi, the BJP said it will not take “lying down any gross unconstitutionality” in the state.
“It is entirely motivated and against constitutional norms. Therefore, we expect the central government to decline the request of governor. We are waiting for response of the central government,” BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.
He said that the governor had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the national capital and the BJP was keenly watching the developments.
The BJP fears that Bhardwaj wants the assembly to be suspended and the state brought under central rule.
In Bangalore, the governor’s communique came after BJP leader Dhananjaya Kumar told reporters at Raj Bhavan that the governor had “accepted the support letters” of 10 of the 11 BJP rebel lawmakers. The 11th legislator has refused to support Yeddyuappa.
The 10 BJP law makers Sunday expressed support to Yeddyurappa. They informed Bhardwaj that they were taking back their October letter withdrawing support to Yeddyurappa.
This led to the disqualification of the 16 legislators that was quashed by the apex court.
Yeddyurappa, who released to the media his letter to President Patil, said copies had been sent to Manmohan Singh and union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
He announced an emergency meeting of his cabinet Monday to take stock of the situation.
The BJP legislators will also meet Monday to decide the party’s next step to save the government.