Karnataka: Governor refuses to address joint session on Thursday, plunging Congress regime into a crisis

Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on Wednesday refused to address the joint session of the Legislature beginning Thursday, plunging the Congress government into a crisis.

The Lok Bhavan officials conveyed the Governor’s decision to the Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh without offering any reason.

The Governor’s decision comes a day after a similar showdown between the Lok Bhavan and the Opposition governments in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.


Gehlot’s stand comes in the wake of the state government’s confrontationist approach to the VB-G RAM G law. The Congress is also running a campaign urging the Modi government to repeal the new law and restore the MGNREG Act.

A top-level team, led by Law & Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil and other senior officials, held a long discussion with the Governor trying to persuade him and break the logjam. But there was no resolution as at press time.

A special Cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah, last week, decided to summon the Legislature session from January 22 to January 31 to discuss the implications of the VB-G RAM G law and to take a call on the next steps to exert pressure on the Centre to restore the UPA’s MGNREG Act. The Cabinet also decided to request Governor to address the joint sitting on January 22.

High drama unfolded in Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday on the first day of their respective assembly sessions. In Chennai, TN governor RN Ravi walked out of the state assembly without delivering the customary address on the opening day of the first session and in neighbouring Kerala, Governor Rajendra Arlekar dropped parts of the speech that were critical of both him and the union government.