BJP will be defeated in floor test: Congress

The Congress on Friday said the BJP will be defeated in Saturday's floor test in Karnataka and that BJP leader B.S. Yeddyurappa exhibited his desperation in becoming the Chief Minister after a split verdict in the state.

"Today is a historic day, we want to put things in perspective. First time a question has been raised on the role of Governor and which party can he invited according to the constitutional provisions," Congress leader and noted lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi told the media at a press conference here.

Taking a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Rajya Sabha member said: "It is ironical and funny that people talk of frustration on the part of Congress... They talk of it while defeat stares in their own face.

"After the court said that floor test is going to be held tomorrow (Saturday), Yeddyurappa's counsel said 15 days is not good enough, then they made 10 days, then they pressed for seven days and finally they said please don't have this before Monday."

"Well, message is clear in that. Why Monday? You wrote a letter on 15th and today is 18th, and you need further time till Monday, to do what you could not do for last three days. This shows their fear," the Congress leader said.

Singhvi also said that Yeddyurappa's counsel wanted voting by secret ballot during the floor test on Saturday but the apex court rejected their demand.

"BJP wanted that vote of confidence should be done via secret ballot. But Supreme Court has written in its order that there shall be no secret ballot in proving vote of confidence tomorrow.

"Answer to both questions of 15 days' time and secret ballot is the same man whose name starts with 'M' in english," he said referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi without taking his name.

Slamming Yeddyurappa, Singhvi said: "I have never seen the kind of desperation that Yeddyurappa has shown to become the CM of Karnataka."

--IANS

aks/nir