Bangalore:
The first day of the budget session of the Karnataka Assembly turned out to be a very embarrassing one for the ruling BJP. And they have only themselves to blame. Fewer than half of the BJP's 120 MLAs turned up for the session. The rest remained secluded at a resort outside the city along with their leader, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa. Only four representatives of his camp actually travelled to the Vidhana Soudha - even on a day that saw obituary references to one of their own - former Home Minister VS Acharya.
The reason for the boycott - Mr Yeddyurappa and his followers still insist that he deserves to be reinstated as Chief Minister now that the High Court has quashed an FIR against him dealing with illegal mining. Yeddyurappa loyalist, Basavaraj Bommai, speaking to media person outside the resort, claimed that the controversial leader had 70 MLAs in his camp. The group is waiting for news from the high command with a date and time for a legislature party meeting at which they can prove their strength.
Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda, a man ironically hand-picked by Mr Yeddyurappa, insisted he would be the one to present the budget and that a vote on account would be held on the 28th of this month. Mr Gowda's famous smile was intact even at the end of the day's proceedings that saw the treasury benches mostly empty.
It was an opportunity for the opposition to cash in as well. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, talking to NDTV, said that Mr Gowda should resign as it was clear he did not enjoy the support of the majority of his own MLAs.
The dispute is taking on caste overtones as well. Mr Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat, chose a Vokkaliga to replace him. Both are dominant communities in the state - and the BJP is in a bind now in case they have alienated the Lingayat vote bank. Would one time Yeddyurappa foe turned ally, Jagadish Shettar, another Lingayat, be a potential Chief Ministerial choice that would satisfy Yeddyurappa if he is given the chair himself? And how would the Vokkaliga community react to a Chief Minister from their community being dumped on the demands of the volatile Mr Yeddyurappa? Elections to the state assembly are due in 2013.
Mr Yeddyurappa's group, in a further act of defiance, even put forward a candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, BJ Puttaswamy. Mr Puttaswamy was promptly suspended from the party for filing his nomination -and notices were issued to the 10 MLAs who nominated him.
The BJP high command has said they would not act under pressure. But they need to do something - and soon. The budget is due to be presented on Wednesday. And while Mr Yeddyurappa's camp is indicating that Mr Gowda would be allowed to present the budget, it is important that the party presents a united front at least on that count.
But the BJP knows its image in the state has taken a beating. The first-ever BJP government in South India has lurched from crisis to crisis - very often of its own making.
The reason for the boycott - Mr Yeddyurappa and his followers still insist that he deserves to be reinstated as Chief Minister now that the High Court has quashed an FIR against him dealing with illegal mining. Yeddyurappa loyalist, Basavaraj Bommai, speaking to media person outside the resort, claimed that the controversial leader had 70 MLAs in his camp. The group is waiting for news from the high command with a date and time for a legislature party meeting at which they can prove their strength.
Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda, a man ironically hand-picked by Mr Yeddyurappa, insisted he would be the one to present the budget and that a vote on account would be held on the 28th of this month. Mr Gowda's famous smile was intact even at the end of the day's proceedings that saw the treasury benches mostly empty.
It was an opportunity for the opposition to cash in as well. Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, talking to NDTV, said that Mr Gowda should resign as it was clear he did not enjoy the support of the majority of his own MLAs.
The dispute is taking on caste overtones as well. Mr Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat, chose a Vokkaliga to replace him. Both are dominant communities in the state - and the BJP is in a bind now in case they have alienated the Lingayat vote bank. Would one time Yeddyurappa foe turned ally, Jagadish Shettar, another Lingayat, be a potential Chief Ministerial choice that would satisfy Yeddyurappa if he is given the chair himself? And how would the Vokkaliga community react to a Chief Minister from their community being dumped on the demands of the volatile Mr Yeddyurappa? Elections to the state assembly are due in 2013.
Mr Yeddyurappa's group, in a further act of defiance, even put forward a candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, BJ Puttaswamy. Mr Puttaswamy was promptly suspended from the party for filing his nomination -and notices were issued to the 10 MLAs who nominated him.
The BJP high command has said they would not act under pressure. But they need to do something - and soon. The budget is due to be presented on Wednesday. And while Mr Yeddyurappa's camp is indicating that Mr Gowda would be allowed to present the budget, it is important that the party presents a united front at least on that count.
But the BJP knows its image in the state has taken a beating. The first-ever BJP government in South India has lurched from crisis to crisis - very often of its own making.
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