Governor's office being misused to buy time for horse-trading: CPI(M)

'The delay would only mean that the constitutional office of the governor is being misused to buy time for naked horse-trading. This is blatantly anti-democratic,' CPI (M) said in a statement.

Sitaram Yechury (Photo: PTI/file)

New Delhi: Criticising the Karnataka governor's decision to give time to the BJP to prove its majority in the state Assembly, the CPI(M) today accused the saffron party of indulging in horse-trading. In a statement, the Left party alleged that the constitutional office of the governor was being misused in the southern state. "The politburo of the CPI(M) strongly opposes the time given to the BJP to indulge in naked horse-trading and the use of money power to muster a majority in the Karnataka Assembly. "Delaying this would only mean that the constitutional office of the governor is being misused to buy time for naked horse-trading. This is blatantly anti-democratic," it said. Referring to the 2017 Goa Assembly election, the CPI(M) said the governors appointed during the current BJP rule had followed the principle of swearing-in governments on the basis of post-poll arrangements. In Goa, the Congress had won 17 and the BJP 13 in the 40-member Assembly, but the saffron party was invited by the governor to form the government after it stitched a post-poll alliance with other parties. The Left party also referred to the Manipur and Meghalaya Assembly elections, where despite not securing a majority, the BJP was invited to form the government by the respective governors on the basis of post-poll arrangements. It stressed that the same principle should apply in Karnataka too, where a post-poll alliance between the Congress and the JD(S) has a clear majority in the 224-member Assembly. The CPI(M) demanded that the chief minister-designate of the Congress-JD(S) coalition be sworn-in and the alliance asked to prove its majority on the floor of the House, in accordance with Supreme Court verdicts. COPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury tweeted: "JP govt appointed Governors didn’t invite Single Largest Party in either Goa, 2017 (INC, 17 out of 40 seats), Manipur 2017 (INC 28 of 60) or Meghalaya 2018 (INC 21 out of 60). Union ministers gave arguments supporting them. The precedent is there to follow, right?"

BJP govt appointed Governors didn’t invite Single Largest Party in either Goa, 2017 (INC, 17 out of 40 seats), Manipur 2017 (INC 28 of 60) or Meghalaya 2018 (INC 21 out of 60). Union ministers gave arguments supporting them. The precedent is there to follow, right? #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/F4fXKxAhix

— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) May 15, 2018