Siddaramiah says JD(S)-Congress government strong, rubbishes Yeddyurappa's claims that it will fall
Bengaluru: Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah Monday asserted that the JDS-Congress government was a 'strong' one and ridiculed state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa for repeatedly claiming that the coalition will collapse.
In a series of tweets, he also said the people's mandate was for continuation of the BJP-led government at the Centre and not for 'toppling' the state government.
"Yeddyurappa has been saying for the past one year the government will fall. He will continue to say the same for the next four years. I am confident the government is strong," Siddaramaiah said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narenda Modi bowing to the Constitution after being elected leader of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on Saturday, he sought to know which article in the Constitution gave the BJP the right to topple a state government.
"@BSYBJP (Yeddyurappa) claims to form the govt inspite of not having the number. This is not a new drama but this is continuously misleading the public. Mr. @narendramodi bowed to the Constitution but in which article has the constitution given the right for @BJP4India to destabilise our govt (sic)," the Congress Legislature Party leader asked.
He asserted that all Congress MLAs, including dissident leader Ramesh Jarkiholi, were with the party and nobody was leaving.
Dismissing Yeddyurappa's claim that the state government would collapse on June 1, Siddaramaiah dared him to resign from his post if his prediction did not come true.
The BJP has predicted the collapse of the ruling coalition and an increase in its tally in the assembly after the LS poll results, claiming that 20 odd Congress MLAs were unhappy with the government and may take any decision anytime.
Siddaramiah said the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, in which the BJP won 25 seats, was for continuation of the NDA government at the Centre and not for toppling the government in the state and make Yeddyurappa chief minister again.
"It's nonsense to say the assembly should be dissolved because the Lok Sabha election results were against us," Siddaramaiah said.
Yeddyurappa Sunday told PTI that it was impossible for the BJP to form a government with the JD(S) in the event of the present coalition government collapsing and favoured fresh assembly elections.
"We are ready for fresh assembly elections. There is no option left for our party," Yeddyurappa had said, citing the failure of the previous coalition arrangement between the JD(S) and the BJP in 2007.
His comments came against the backdrop of speculations that the JD(S)-Congress coalition would fall in view of the poor showing in the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara also exuded confidence that Ramesh Jarkiholi will not leave the party.
"I am pretty confident that he will take a decision in favour of the party and government. Ramesh Jarkiholi is our close friend. I believe that neither he nor his team will leave Congress," he told reporters here Monday.
In response to a question about his resignation, Jarkiholi had Sunday said "Will give (resignation)...will not give it through media, will (discuss with) well wishers and give... I won't say (when)...I may even give after one year."
Jarkiholi has been hobnobbing with the BJP for some time and had threatened to resign from the party along with some MLAs after the Lok Sabha polls.
He had Sunday visited senior BJP leader S M Krishna here in the presence of Yeddyurappa.
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Defeat of Constitution Amendment Bill betrayal of nation's woman power: Adityanath
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha "betrayal of the woman power" of the nation.
A Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated on Friday.
In a post on X in Hindi, late on Friday night, Adityanath said, "Today, a dark chapter has been added to the history of India's great democracy. The Opposition's obstruction of the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill essential for the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' is a blow to the honour of 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India). It is a betrayal of the entire woman power of the nation; it is an infringement upon their democratic rights.
"The Congress-led 'INDI' alliance has exposed its anti-women mindset. The women of the nation are watching and understanding everything. They will remember this deceit and injustice, and when the time comes, they will surely give a reply. Under the leadership of our Prime Minister @narendramodi ji, the NDA alliance will continue its unwavering efforts to protect the honour, dignity, and rights of women, and to ensure their empowerment."
While 298 members voted in support of the Bill in the Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. The Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
This was for the first time that a Bill under the Modi government was defeated in Parliament.
