Congress takes a swipe at 'Honourable' Governors of Arunachal, Manipur and Goa

In the wake of Supreme Court's direction to conduct the floor test in Karnataka tommorrow (May 19), the Congress has taken a bitter jibe at the Governors of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Goa, against whom the grand old party had raised fingers even in the past.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala invited the single largest party, the BJP, to form government first when the Congress-JDS combine had more seats than the required majority in the House.

"I would like to thank the Supreme Court for restoring the Democracy. Over the past two years, some of the Honorable Governors didn't work according to the rule of law," Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad told the media.

"No governor in the history of India has given a political party 15 days to prove majority. Why was Yeddyurappa given 15 days then? The head of a state in Karnataka is not working according to the law," he added.

Azad was referring to what happened in Manipur and Goa. In Manipur last year, though the Congress won 28 out of 60 assembly seats, the Governor allowed the BJP, which had 21 seats, to form a government with the support of allies. Likewise in Goa, though the BJP had won 13 seats and the Congress had 17 seats out of the 40 constituencies in Goa. The governor allowed the BJP to form a government after forging an alliance with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and Goa Forward Party.

The Congress party on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court's direction that the floor test in the Karnataka legislative assembly be held on Saturday (tomorrow) at 4 pm and termed it a 'historic verdict'. The court said that the pro-tem Speaker to be appointed by the Governor will decide on all issues relating to the floor test in accordance with the law.