Vedike rebels dare JD to serve whip on them
Former Karnataka industries minister R V Deshpande, who had quit the J H Patel ministry and joined Ramakrishna Hegde's Rashtriya Navanirmana Vedike, has challenged the
ruling Janata Dal to issue a whip asking him to vote in favour of the motion of thanks for the governor's address.
But party chief whip Vasanth Bangera, after consultations with
Patel, had not responded to his challenge, Deshapande
disclosed in Bangalore.
Talking to the media during the assembly session, he said he
had told Bangera that he was ready to accept the whip and vote as a Janata Dal member, but the latter had not served the whip. If the whip was issued, it would have ensured the dismissal of the
petition seeking his disqualification and that of two others (who had joined the Vedike), Deshpande added.
Former forest minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli, who also recently joined the Vedike, said he too was not served the whip.
The ruling party had issued a whip to all other members in this regard.
Patel had challenged the opposition to pull down his government in the voting on the motion, saying it was a test of the majority enjoyed by his government.
In the council, former minister K B Shanappa, a nominated member who had joined the Vedike, challenged the ruling party to take action against him. Participating in the debate on the motion, he said the ruling party could not act against him as he was not an elected member.
V S Ugrappa, another member who joined the Vedike, embarrassed the Janata Dal by asking why no one was appointed as the Dal parliamentary board chairman after the resignation of Shanappa from the post in protest against the selection of party candidates for the recent Lok Sabha poll.
UNI
Elections '98
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