The Evening Wrap: Yediyurappa announces resignation as Karnataka Chief Minister

B S Yediyurappa on Monday announced his resignation as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. His government has just about completed two years in office. The 78-year-old BJP veteran said he will submit his resignation to the Governor post lunch. “Don’t take me otherwise, with your permission... I have decided that after lunch I will go to the Raj Bhavan and submit my resignation as the Chief Minister to the Governor," Yediyurappa said with a choked voice, as he turned emotional. The 78-year-old BJP veteran holds the record for being the chief minister of Karnataka four times, the most for any CM, though he could not complete a full term even once. Two terms were short, as he failed to muster the support of adequate number of MLAs to sustain the government. But he failed to complete the other two terms due to bickering in his own party, which he built brick by brick in Karnataka. A close look at the turn of events, particularly in the last two years, shows that there was a clear indication of him not completing the term this time too as the gulf between him and the party cadre as well as the high command had begun widening from the very start. Also his past mistakes, particularly with respect to administration, continued this time too, with his own partymen levelling allegations of corruption and nepotism. But unlike his previous stint, when he had stepped down unceremoniously following a report on illegal mining, Yediyurappa had an honourable exit this time. Despite endearing himself to party workers and occupying prominent posts, like Leader of the Opposition, president of the party’s State unit and Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Yediyurappa had not emerged strongly in the State’s political spectrum till 2008. The failure by coalition partner JD(S) to transfer power to the BJP in 2008 changed the political fortunes of the BJP as well as Yediyurappa. The party’s campaign, led by Yediyurappa on the theme of ‘deception’ by the JD(S), was not only received well by people, but also elevated the political stature of Yediyurappa and turned him into a towering Lingayat leader. But despite making a quantum jump in terms of seats won by the party, it marginally fell short of the majority mark. That’s when Yediyurappa resorted to the controversial strategy of getting several opposition MLAs to quit their Assembly membership and re-contest on the BJP ticket, a manoeuvre that was codenamed ‘Operation Kamala’. In the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP again fell short of a majority. Once Congress and JD(S) cobbled together a coalition and formed the government, Yediyurappa again took recourse to ‘Operation Kamala’. He persuaded 16 MLAs from the opposition to quit and managed to catapult the BJP to power in 2019. This paved the way for a repeat of history as the party’s old guards again raised the banner of revolt after missing out on ministerial berths. Also, Yediyurappa’s fourth stint in power was marked by alleged interference in the administration by his younger son B.Y. Vijayendra, which rubbed many the wrong way. It now appears that what is often called ‘subversion of democracy’ in the form of ‘Operation Kamala’ was the origin of troubles for the BJP stalwart who had to step down despite taking the party to its peak in Karnataka. Pegasus issue: West Bengal govt sets up two-member inquiry commission The West Bengal government has set up an inquiry commission to probe the Pegasus spyware row, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, she said. The two-member commission will comprise retired Supreme Court judge M.B. Lokur and former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya. “We had hoped that the Centre will start an inquiry in the Pegasus row under the supervision of the Supreme Court. But this government did nothing even when the Parliament is on. Therefore, before going to Delhi, we have taken the decision to set up an inquiry commission at a Cabinet meeting today. West Bengal is the first State to set to set up an inquiry commission,” the Chief Minister said. Banerjee said that since there were “aggrieved parties” in West Bengal whose phones had been put under surveillance, the commission would investigate the matter. Last week, she urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue. Later in the day, the Chief Minister left for Delhi where she is expected to meet leaders of Opposition parties. Party Parliamentary leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien told The Hindu, “This is an important visit of Mamata Banerjee and this is an important week for the Indian politics.” Asked if the visit indicates a more active role for Banerjee in the national politics, O’Brien said she is not seeking any chair or post. Significantly, key changes took place in the Congress and the TMC dynamics ahead of her visit, with the former showing willingness to make many concessions. The first step was to remove West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from the equation, with whom the TMC was not willing to speak. Congress president Sonia Gandhi gave Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the responsibility to coordinate with the allies in both Houses of Parliament. Sources said senior leader Shashi Tharoor has now been enlisted to liaise with the TMC in the Lok Sabha. Tharoor met TMC Parliamentary Party leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay to convey this on July 26. The second step was that the Congress had acknowledged that not only Rahul Gandhi but TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee too has been the victim of Pegasus cyber attack with a tweet from its official handle. It posted a picture saying Banerjee was targeted because of the West Bengal Assembly elections. “Modi govt.’s insecurities are endless,” the tweet said. Banerjee is expected to meet a host of leaders during her visit. She will also be paying a visit to Sonia Gandhi. She will spend a day in Parliament, where meetings with other Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, DMK, RJD and others are planned. The party remained tightlipped on whether she will host a joint Opposition meet or not. Six personnel of Assam Police killed in ‘border clash’ with 'miscreants' from Mizoram At least six personnel of the Assam Police were killed in firing by miscreants from neighbouring Mizoram on Monday as violence escalated along the inter-state border in the Cachar district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. A senior Assam Police officer, who was still inside the forest amid continuous firing from across the border, told PTI that at least 50 personnel, including Cachar Superintendent of Police Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant, were injured in firing and stone-pelting. “I am deeply pained to inform that six brave jawans of @assampolice have sacrificed their lives while defending constitutional boundary of our state at the Assam-Mizoram border. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” Sarma tweeted. The senior police officer said miscreants from across the border suddenly started firing when civil officials of both sides were holding a dialogue to sort out the differences. “I immediately cannot say how many people have been injured, but my guess is at least 50 personnel. Our SP was also injured in the firing and a bullet hit his leg,” the officer said over the phone. The Indian Police Service officer spoke to PTI while he was hiding inside a forest and firing could be heard in the background. Congress sets two conditions for Parliament to function A discussion on Pegasus cyberattack in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah, followed by a judicial probe are the pre-conditions for Parliament to function, the Congress said on Monday. This was to counter criticism from the government, which has accused the Opposition of disrupting Parliament for the sixth day in a row in the ongoing monsoon session. Congress Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet, “The entire Opposition is united. 1. Have a discussion on Pegasus snooping issue in presence of the Prime Minister or Home Minister. 2. Announce a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the scandal.” Parliament, he stated, was not functioning because the government was not agreeing to these legitimate demands. Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’ Brien, concurring with Ramesh, said this was exactly what was needed. “We need this. Not green tea at Piyush Goyal’s office. Thanks. But no thanks,” he tweeted quoting Ramesh’s tweet. Since the Pegasus issue broke, Congress leaders, including Rajya Sabha member Shakti Sinh Gohil, had demanded an investigation by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC). The party now has finalised its stand that a JPC will be ineffective since it has limited powers. Senior party leader Shashi Tharoor, who also heads the Standing Committee on Information Technology, which has had a few meetings on Pegasus, had said that merely summoning witnesses would not suffice in investigating a case of this magnitude. On Monday, he tweeted, “Opposition’s demands have been clear from the beginning: discuss #PegasusProject w/ Prime Minister or Home Minister present, not just IT Minister, & conduct a Supreme Court-monitored investigation to establish the facts. Then Parliament can do the rest of its work undisturbed!” Rahul Gandhi drives tractor to Parliament to protest farm law Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by his parliamentary colleagues, drove a tractor to Parliament on Monday to express solidarity with the protesting farmers and demand the repeal of the three farm laws. Besides extending support to the farmers in their fight against the farm laws, the tractor ride to Parliament was aimed at highlighting the cause of the farmers’ unions that have been protesting just outside Delhi borders over eight months now. “These laws are aimed at helping only two-three industrialists. The entire country knows for who and whom these laws have been brought about. These laws are not for the benefit of farmers and that is why they have to be withdrawn,” Gandhi stated. His tractor drive from Moti Lal Nehru Marg to one of the peripheral gates of Parliament had taken the police by surprise, as the area was under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and no gathering of more than four people is allowed. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and Youth Congress chief BV Srinivas, along with a number of party leaders, were detained by the police outside Parliament and taken to the Mandir Marg police station by bus amid sloganeering for the withdrawal of the farm laws. “We will not be cowed down by such actions. This struggle will continue under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and we will not allow the Modi government to hand over the rights of 62 crore farmers to three-four industrialists,” Surjewala told reporters after his detention. The police detained around eight Congress workers and seized the tractor. A senior police officer said tractor entry was not allowed in New Delhi area as per traffic rules. The tractor was taken to the Mandir Marg police station. It did not bear any registration number. “They have ordered detailed investigation to find out how the tractor reached near Parliament when Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the area near Parliament,” said the officer. Due to the ‘farmers Parliament’ at Jantar Mantar, more than 2,000 security personnel have been deployed in the area. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,14,09,725 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,20,997. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 26 JULY 2021 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Yediyurappa announces resignation as Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday [announced his resignation as the Chief Minister of Karnataka](. His government has just about completed two years in office. The 78-year-old BJP veteran said he will submit his resignation to the Governor post lunch. “Don’t take me otherwise, with your permission... I have decided that after lunch I will go to the Raj Bhavan and submit my resignation as the Chief Minister to the Governor," Yediyurappa said with a choked voice, as he turned emotional. [Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa (centre) addressing mediapersons outside Raj Bhavan after submitting his resignation to the Governor, in Bengaluru on July 26, 2021. At left is Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs Basavaraj Bommai, behind the CM is his political secretary and MLA M.P. Renukacharya, and to the right is Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan.] The 78-year-old BJP veteran holds the record for being the chief minister of Karnataka four times, the most for any CM, though he could not complete a full term even once. Two terms were short, as he failed to muster the support of adequate number of MLAs to sustain the government. But he failed to complete the other two terms due to bickering in his own party, which he built brick by brick in Karnataka.  A close look at the turn of events, particularly in the last two years, shows that there was a clear indication of him not completing the term this time too as the gulf between him and the party cadre as well as the high command had begun widening from the very start. Also his past mistakes, particularly with respect to administration, continued this time too, with his own partymen levelling allegations of corruption and nepotism. But unlike his previous stint, when he had stepped down unceremoniously following a report on illegal mining, Yediyurappa had an honourable exit this time.  Despite endearing himself to party workers and occupying prominent posts, like Leader of the Opposition, president of the party’s State unit and Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Yediyurappa had not emerged strongly in the State’s political spectrum till 2008.  The failure by coalition partner JD(S) to transfer power to the BJP in 2008 changed the political fortunes of the BJP as well as Yediyurappa. The party’s campaign, led by Yediyurappa on the theme of ‘deception’ by the JD(S), was not only received well by people, but also elevated the political stature of Yediyurappa and turned him into a towering Lingayat leader.  But despite making a quantum jump in terms of seats won by the party, it marginally fell short of the majority mark. That’s when Yediyurappa resorted to the controversial strategy of getting several opposition MLAs to quit their Assembly membership and re-contest on the BJP ticket, a manoeuvre that was codenamed ‘Operation Kamala’.  In the 2018 Assembly elections, the BJP again fell short of a majority. Once Congress and JD(S) cobbled together a coalition and formed the government, Yediyurappa again took recourse to ‘Operation Kamala’. He persuaded 16 MLAs from the opposition to quit and managed to catapult the BJP to power in 2019. This paved the way for a repeat of history as the party’s old guards again raised the banner of revolt after missing out on ministerial berths. Also, Yediyurappa’s fourth stint in power was marked by alleged interference in the administration by his younger son B.Y. Vijayendra, which rubbed many the wrong way.  It now appears that what is often called ‘subversion of democracy’ in the form of ‘Operation Kamala’ was the origin of troubles for the BJP stalwart who had to step down despite taking the party to its peak in Karnataka. [underlineimg] Pegasus issue: West Bengal govt sets up two-member inquiry commission                             The West Bengal government [has set up an inquiry commission to probe the Pegasus spyware row]( Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting, she said.  The two-member commission will comprise retired Supreme Court judge M.B. Lokur and former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya. “We had hoped that the Centre will start an inquiry in the Pegasus row under the supervision of the Supreme Court. But this government did nothing even when the Parliament is on. Therefore, before going to Delhi, we have taken the decision to set up an inquiry commission at a Cabinet meeting today. West Bengal is the first State to set to set up an inquiry commission,” the Chief Minister said. [West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee]  Banerjee said that since there were “aggrieved parties” in West Bengal whose phones had been put under surveillance, the commission would investigate the matter. Last week, she urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue. Later in the day, the Chief Minister left for Delhi where she is expected to meet leaders of Opposition parties.  Party Parliamentary leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien told The Hindu, “This is an important visit of Mamata Banerjee and this is an important week for the Indian politics.” Asked if the visit indicates a more active role for Banerjee in the national politics, O’Brien said she is not seeking any chair or post.  Significantly, key changes took place in the Congress and the TMC dynamics ahead of her visit, with the former showing willingness to make many concessions.  The first step was to remove West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from the equation, with whom the TMC was not willing to speak. Congress president Sonia Gandhi gave Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, the responsibility to coordinate with the allies in both Houses of Parliament. Sources said senior leader Shashi Tharoor has now been enlisted to liaise with the TMC in the Lok Sabha. Tharoor met TMC Parliamentary Party leader Sudip Bandhopadhyay to convey this on July 26.  The second step was that the Congress had acknowledged that not only Rahul Gandhi but TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee too has been the victim of Pegasus cyber attack with a tweet from its official handle. It posted a picture saying Banerjee was targeted because of the West Bengal Assembly elections. “Modi govt.’s insecurities are endless,” the tweet said.  Banerjee is expected to meet a host of leaders during her visit. She will also be paying a visit to Sonia Gandhi. She will spend a day in Parliament, where meetings with other Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, DMK, RJD and others are planned. The party remained tightlipped on whether she will host a joint Opposition meet or not. [underlineimg] Six personnel of Assam Police killed in ‘border clash’ with 'miscreants' from Mizoram  At least six personnel of the Assam Police were killed [in firing by miscreants from neighbouring Mizoram]( on Monday as violence escalated along the inter-state border in the Cachar district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.  A senior Assam Police officer, who was still inside the forest amid continuous firing from across the border, told PTI that at least 50 personnel, including Cachar Superintendent of Police Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant, were injured in firing and stone-pelting.  “I am deeply pained to inform that six brave jawans of @assampolice have sacrificed their lives while defending constitutional boundary of our state at the Assam-Mizoram border. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” Sarma tweeted. The senior police officer said miscreants from across the border suddenly started firing when civil officials of both sides were holding a dialogue to sort out the differences.  “I immediately cannot say how many people have been injured, but my guess is at least 50 personnel. Our SP was also injured in the firing and a bullet hit his leg,” the officer said over the phone. The Indian Police Service officer spoke to PTI while he was hiding inside a forest and firing could be heard in the background. [underlineimg] Congress sets two conditions for Parliament to function  A discussion on Pegasus cyberattack in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah, followed by a judicial probe [are the pre-conditions for Parliament to function]( the Congress said on Monday.  This was to counter criticism from the government, which has accused the Opposition of disrupting Parliament for the sixth day in a row in the ongoing monsoon session.  Congress Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet, “The entire Opposition is united. 1. Have a discussion on Pegasus snooping issue in presence of the Prime Minister or Home Minister. 2. Announce a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry into the scandal.”  Parliament, he stated, was not functioning because the government was not agreeing to these legitimate demands. Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’ Brien, concurring with Ramesh, said this was exactly what was needed. “We need this. Not green tea at Piyush Goyal’s office. Thanks. But no thanks,” he tweeted quoting Ramesh’s tweet.  Since the Pegasus issue broke, Congress leaders, including Rajya Sabha member Shakti Sinh Gohil, had demanded an investigation by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC). The party now has finalised its stand that a JPC will be ineffective since it has limited powers.  Senior party leader Shashi Tharoor, who also heads the Standing Committee on Information Technology, which has had a few meetings on Pegasus, had said that merely summoning witnesses would not suffice in investigating a case of this magnitude. On Monday, he tweeted, “Opposition’s demands have been clear from the beginning: discuss #PegasusProject w/ Prime Minister or Home Minister present, not just IT Minister, & conduct a Supreme Court-monitored investigation to establish the facts. Then Parliament can do the rest of its work undisturbed!” [underlineimg] Rahul Gandhi drives tractor to Parliament to protest farm law  Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by his parliamentary colleagues, [drove a tractor to Parliament on Monday]( to express solidarity with the protesting farmers and demand the repeal of the three farm laws. [Rahul Gandhi drives a tractor to Parliament.]  Besides extending support to the farmers in their fight against the farm laws, the tractor ride to Parliament was aimed at highlighting the cause of the farmers’ unions that have been protesting just outside Delhi borders over eight months now. “These laws are aimed at helping only two-three industrialists. The entire country knows for who and whom these laws have been brought about. These laws are not for the benefit of farmers and that is why they have to be withdrawn,” Gandhi stated.  His tractor drive from Moti Lal Nehru Marg to one of the peripheral gates of Parliament had taken the police by surprise, as the area was under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and no gathering of more than four people is allowed.  Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and Youth Congress chief BV Srinivas, along with a number of party leaders, were detained by the police outside Parliament and taken to the Mandir Marg police station by bus amid sloganeering for the withdrawal of the farm laws.  “We will not be cowed down by such actions. This struggle will continue under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and we will not allow the Modi government to hand over the rights of 62 crore farmers to three-four industrialists,” Surjewala told reporters after his detention.  The police detained around eight Congress workers and seized the tractor. A senior police officer said tractor entry was not allowed in New Delhi area as per traffic rules. The tractor was taken to the Mandir Marg police station. It did not bear any registration number.  “They have ordered detailed investigation to find out how the tractor reached near Parliament when Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the area near Parliament,” said the officer. Due to the ‘farmers Parliament’ at Jantar Mantar, more than 2,000 security personnel have been deployed in the area. [underlineimg] Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments  The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,14,09,725 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,20,997.  [underlineimg] Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.  Today's Top Picks [[Amarinder Singh vs Sidhu | Talking Politics with Nistula Hebbar] Amarinder Singh vs Sidhu | Talking Politics with Nistula Hebbar]( [[Revenue from monuments down from ₹336 cr. to ₹40 cr. in pandemic year] Revenue from monuments down from ₹336 cr. to ₹40 cr. in pandemic year]( [[The making of China’s ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy | In Focus podcast] The making of China’s ‘wolf warrior’ diplomacy | In Focus podcast]( [[Veteran multilingual actor Jayanthi passes away at 76] Veteran multilingual actor Jayanthi passes away at 76]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](