No Ministers Even 18 Days After Yediyurappa Became CM, Congress Seeks Dismissal of Karnataka Govt

Bengaluru: Questioning Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's "silence" on the absence of Council of Ministers in the state, the Congress on Tuesday asked him to take cognisance of the matter and dismiss the BJP government led by BS Yediyurappa.

"Its been 18 days ever since Yediyurappa took over. Yet there is no council of ministers formed whereas the Constitution says the governor has to act on the aid and advise of the council of ministers," Congress spokesperson V S Ugrappa told reporters.

Yediyurappa was sworn in as the Chief Minister on July 26 and since then has been heading a "one-man" government without ministers. He was in the national capital last week to hold consultations with the party's central leadership on Cabinet expansion and finalise the names.

But Yediyurappa was told by the BJP President Amit Shah to head back to the state and supervise flood relief measures and attend to the needs of the victims.

The chief minister has already indicated that a decision on Ministry expansion is likely after August 16, following his visit to Delhi to meet the party's central leadership.

According to party sources, only 10 to 12 members are likely to be inducted into the Ministry in the first round.

Ugrappa said: "I want to ask the Governor Is there a government in the state as per the constitution? Governor has to take cognisance of the matter and dismiss the government.

A Chief Minister cannot be called as a council of ministers." Underlining that there was a need to have the cabinet at a time when there were floods across various parts of Karnataka, the Congress leader said a group of ministers holding crucial portfolios would have helped in taking decisions instantly.

Since there was a "crisis" in the state following the floods and incessant rains, Ugrappa said he would wait for a few days and if the cabinet was not formed then he would take legal recourse.

He claimed that damage caused by the floods and rains was to the tune of about Rs one lakh crore and the Centre should immediately declare it a national calamity and release maximum grant.