Bhardwaj's report for president's rule in Karnataka rejected
New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) The union government Sunday rejected Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj recommendation for president's rule in the southern state ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party.
Official sources said the decision to reject the governor's report was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs.
The sources said the home ministry had written to the Prime Minister's Office saying that removal of Karnataka government was not in order as Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had a majority of legislators supporting him.
They said the ministry will write to the governor, conveying the government's decision.
Bhardwaj had recommended president's rule in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling reversing the Karnataka High Court's decision of disqualifying 11 BJP rebel legislators and five Independents, ahead of a trust vote in the Assembly in October last year.
He had said Speaker K.G. Bopaiah, in collusion with the chief minister, had distorted the character and composition of the assembly for extraneous reasons Oct 10, 2010 by disqualifying 16 legislators just before the crucial floor test.
The BJP, earlier this month, paraded its 114 Karanataka legislators before President Pratibha Patil in a bid to prove its majority in the state assembly. The party also gave letters of support of some more legislators.
The BJP has, including the 11 rebels-turned-loyalists, 120 members in the 225-member assembly.