Stormy first session of Karnataka legislature likely on Monday

Alleged misuse of police against political opponents, 'failure' in getting the state's share of central funds and Anand Singh's appointment as forest minister are expected to be raised by opposition parties in a likely stormy first session of the Karnataka legislature in 2020, beginning on Monday.

The session will commence with Governor Vajubhai Vala addressing the joint sitting of the legislative assembly and council on the first day and conclude on February 20. It will then meet for the budget session from March 2, with the state budget being presented on March 5. It will go on till March 31.

This will the first budget of the BJP government after coming to power last year, while for Yediyurappa,who holds the Finance portfolio, this will be his fifth budget presentation. Speaker Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri has decided to hold a a special discussion on March 2 and 3 to commemorate 70 years since the adoption of the Constitution. Though his expectation is that the discussion should focus on the intent, specialty of the constitution and MLAs to take part in it,rising above party politics,there are apprehensions that issues like CAA and NRC may figure in the debate. Kageri has also made it clear that the bar on media from telecasting House proceedings will continue in this session also and that the public broadcaster, like in the previous one, will provide live feed to private TV channels.

He has said he was merely implementing the system that exists in Parliament, being followed in several other states. The session will also be the first after the December 5 bypolls that saw 11 of the 13 disqualified Congress-JD(S) legislators winning on BJP tickets after defecting from their respective parties, and ten of them being made Ministers. "We wanted to enter the very assembly from which were were disqualified, as Ministers. Most of us will now be entering as Ministers, after reelection," a newly elected Minister said. While BJP will face the session with a sense of stability after the bypolls and keeping up the promise of making winning defectors Ministers, opposition parties, especially Congress, which has termed the government ineffective, are expected to corner it on the alleged poor state of finances and "failure" in getting Karnataka's share of central funds on time, despite having the same party government at the Centre. Congress is also likely to target the government accusing it of targeting BJP's opponents and those criticising its "divisive policies".

The principal opposition party had indicated it will raise the issue in the assembly. The party had taken out a protest march and attempted to lay siege to Chief Ministers office on Saturday. Alleging that false cases were being filed under sections like sedition against political opponents and those opposing CAA and NRC like Congress leader U T Khader and a student from Mysuru University, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah has pointed out that ruling party leaders like Somashekara Reddy and Anant Kumar Hegde were not booked, despite "inflammatory speeches". The opposition is also likely to raise the issue of alleged attempts by police to hush up a road mishap case, reportedly involving a Minister's son, in which one person was killed in Ballari district.

Anand Singh's appointment as Minister for Forests,Ecology and Environment, despite several cases pending against him, including under the Karnataka Forest Act, is also likely to beraised by the opposition to attack the government. The opposition too is faced with its "weaknesses" ahead of the session, as Congress continues to remain in a "virtual vacuum" with new President and Legislature Party leader yet to be announced, and JD(S) too allegedly facing internal differences after the fall of the coalition government.

Though Siddaramaiah resigned as CLP leader after the party's rout in the bypolls,he is expected to continue as leader of the opposition during the session as his resignation has not yet been accepted by the Congress high command.Six Bills are expected to be tabled during the session, including an amendment to the Lokayukta Act, to allow the incumbent Lokayukta to recuse from looking into a case that involves conflict of  interest.