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Governor should trust us, says BJP

BANGALORE: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday took exception to the reported stand of Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur that its government should prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly before convening a joint session of both Houses.

BJP State president D.V. Sadananda Gowda, talking to journalists here after meeting leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, termed the stand a “mockery of democracy.”

Mr. Gowda said the government expected the Governor to first address a joint session of the legislature. But he was insisting that Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa first prove his strength on the floor of the Assembly.

“We had demonstrated our strength before him by presenting the independent members who have expressed support to the party. We do not know why the Governor is again asking us to prove our strength,” Mr. Gowda said.

Maintaining that it was not proper on the part of Mr. Thakur to ask Mr. Yeddyurappa to prove his strength again, he said: “We have trust in the Governor. He too should trust us.”

A delegation of BJP Ministers is said to have called on the Governor on Friday night and told him that as per Article 176 of the Constitution, he should address a joint session of the legislature soon after the elections.

The joint session has to be addressed before the legislature transacted other official businesses, they pointed out.

The delegation is also learnt to have expressed concern that the Governor would set precedence if he did not address a joint session.

Mr. Thakur is said to have told the Ministers that he would consult the Advocate-General and constitutional experts.

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