Speaker told to explain his whereabouts

A day after 13 ruling BJP MLAs’ plan to quit their assembly membership turned a damp squib due to Speaker K G Bopaiah’s absence, Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj on Thursday shot off a letter to the Assembly Secretariat seeking details of the presiding officer’s tour.

Bhardwaj’s letter came on a complaint by a delegation of MLAs loyal to former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa which met him yesterday after an hour-long drama at the Speaker’s office. The agitated MLAs rushed to Raj Bhavan complaining to Bhardwaj of Bopaiah’s absence.

In spite of being told in advance about their decision to submit their resignations, a move aimed at pushing the Jagadish Shettar government into a crisis.

The MLAs, including C M Udasi and Shobha Karandlaje who quit as ministers, were taken aback when they were told Bopaiah was on tour while Assembly Secretary P Omprakasha was also not available. Omprakasha confirmed receipt of letter from the governor’s office seeking details about the Speaker’s tour programme.

The governor has also sought tour programme details of Assembly Secretariat officials. Meanwhile, the 13 MLAs have sent their resignation letters to Bopaiah through e-mail and requested him to accept them by January 27 or January 28.

Nehru Olekar, Haveri MLA, said the group was contemplating to move a habeas corpus petition before the state high court in a couple of days to trace the Speaker.

The MLAs’ resignation bid was seen as part of Yeddyurappa’s game plan to push the BJP government into a crisis and threaten its stability before Shettar could present the budget on February 8, the last before the assembly elections due in May.