‘Congressmen not keen to join hands with JD-S’

NEW DELHI - Congress general secretary B.K. Hariprasad Tuesday said his partymen did not want to join hands with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) in Karnataka to form an alternate government in case the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not able to win the trust vote Thursday.

“No loyal Congressman will accept it. They want Congress to be on its own. They do not want the party to align with any casteist or communal party,” Hariprasad said here.

However, he added that the final decision about any partnership would be taken by party president Sonia Gandhi.

Asked about the BJP’s demand for removal of Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj, Hariprasad said the ruling party in the state was “uncomfortable with him (Bhardwaj) as he had been exposing the land and mining mafia (there)”.

Asked if the governor was exceeding his brief by criticising the state government, Hariprasad said he was speaking on the anti-people steps of the state government.

“There is nothing like constitutional brief. When something like this happens against people, he is speaking. He is a pro-active governor,” the Congress leader said.

Asked if the governor’s suggestion for a fresh trust vote was a climb down from his position of recommending imposition of President’s Rule in the state, Hariprasad said that he did not have information about the the report sent by the governor to the central government.

Hariprasad, who is a former Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, said the governor’s advice was in the framework of constitution.

“The BJP claimed victory by voice vote. It has to be established by numbers,” Hariprasad said.

The BJP government in Karnataka has been in the thick of a crisis since 11 of its legislators, along with five Independents, rebelled against the leadership of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The chief minister won a confidence motion in the state assembly by voice vote amid chaotic scenes Monday, prompting the governor to recommend President’s Rule in the state.

On Tuesday, the governor gave Yeddyurappa a “fresh opportunity” to prove majority in the house Thursday.