The Left parties today condemned the "unconstitutional and undemocratic" manner in which the BJP government won a majority in Karnataka Assembly,with the CPI demanding dismissal of the state government. CPI National Secretary D Raja said the state government should be dismissed as democratic methods were not followed by it to garner majority and the BJP had lost its moral authority to continue in office. He said the decision of the Presiding Officer (Speaker) to disqualify some rebel BJP and Independent MLAs before the vote "could be questioned". "There should have been order in the House and a division of votes allowed. The entire process should have been carried out in a democratic and transparent manner," he said adding that the developments did not augur well for democracy as it set "a very bad precedent". The CPI(M) Politburo said the BJP could not continue in office till it established majority through a division of votes. Quoting the Supreme Court judgement in the Bommai case,it said,"a government has to prove its majority on the floor of the House to continue in office. Any disqualification of an MLA can occur only after the vote when the party whip has been violated. Further,this cannot apply to Independent MLAs." Maintaining that the Yeddyurappa government "refused" to have division of votes in the House and relied on a voice vote to claim majority,the CPI(M) said the entire development "constitutes a brazen constitutional impropriety and cannot be allowed. The Yeddyurappa government cannot remain in office unless it establishes its majority through a division of votes on the floor of the Assembly".
