Centre ends suspense, snubs Bhardwaj

NEW DELHI: In a snub to Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj, the Centre on Sunday night rejected his recommendation for imposition of President's rule in the state, exactly a week after he escalated tensions with the ruling BJP there.The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here, shortly after the conclusion of the second anniversary celebrations of the UPA-II Government."The CCPA today met to discuss the Karnataka Governor's report and after careful consideration decided not to accept his recommendations," Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters after the meeting.The CCPA has asked the Home Ministry to write to the state government bringing to its notice the issues mentioned by Bharadwaj.An advisory will be issued, Chidambaram said and hoped that the state government will take note of it.This may be one of the rare instances when the Centre has rejected the recommendations of a Governor for imposing President's rule.The BJP earlier in the day pressed the UPA government to reject by Monday evening Bhardwaj's recommendation failing which it threatened a nationwide agitation.Hinting that his patience is running out, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa also appealed to Prime Minister Singh to reject the recommendation before embarking on his foreign trip on Monday.Bhardwaj, a senior Congress leader and a former Union Minister who was appointed Governor less than two years ago, has been having a running battle with Yeddyurappa in the state.Late last year too he had recommended dismissal of the Government in the wake of the Speaker's action but that was overtaken by a floor test in the Assembly on his directions.In the wake of the Supreme Court quashing the disqualification of 11 BJP and 5 Independent MLAs by Speaker K G Bopaiah, the Governor had last Sunday sent a 'special report' to the Centre recommending dismissal of the Yeddyurappa Government.