K'taka Governor asks BJP to prove majority before his joint address

Bangalore, May 31 (UNI) Putting the Bharatiya Janata Party in a fix, Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur has asked the party, which assumed power yesterday, to prove its majority in the Assembly before he delivered the customary address.

The BJP delegation accompanied by Advocate General Uday Holla met Mr Thakur last night to invite him to address the Joint session.

However the Governor had asked the party to prove its majority in the house as it had not won a majority on its own and only then he would address the Joint Session.

The Yeddyurappa-led government had obtained the support of all the six independent legislators to form the government. The BJP had fallen just short of gaining a simple majority winning 110 seats in the 224-member lower house.

A top party functionary told UNI that the Governor was bound by the constitution, which made it 'mandatory' that the Governor address the joint session whenever a new government is installed or on the first day of the first session during a year. The vote of confidence would only come next.

"We are absolutely comfortable with the numbers. We have also proved it in front of the Governor himself, before he invited us to form the government. If he insists, we are not averse to prove it again. But Article 176 of the constitution clearly states that the Governor's address comes first," he said.

The Yeddyurappa government had called for a three-day special session from June four to seek the vote of confidence.

The BJP leader said Advocate General Uday Holla had tried to convince the Governor quoting the Constitution.

However, Mr Thakur reportedly insisted that BJP first take the confidence vote and only later he would address the house.

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