Mumbai,(The Hindu): The dramatic turn of events leading to the resignation of B.S. Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister has exposed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s undemocratic machinations, political leaders of Opposition parties in Maharashtra have said.

While the Congress said this was a victory for the country’s democratic institutions, BJP’s alliance partner Shiv Sena said it was the end of win-at-all-cost politics. “It is a victory of democracy and secular forces. The Congress and JDS legislators stood firmly and did not fall prey to the allurements of Modi-Shah-Yeddy, showing solidarity for democracy and secularism. Long live democracy,” said Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan.

The Congress alleged that the BJP was involved in horse trading after the Governor invited them to form the government even when the numbers were short. “Now the mask is off and people get to see the real machinations of the BJP. The Governor flagged off this horsetrading, he has no moral right to be in the chair,” said Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, leader of the opposition in Maharastra Assembly.

Calling the developments as a slap on the democratic values of the country, the Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “This is the beginning of the end of dictatorial tactics and political one-upmanship. Whatever has happened in Karnataka is against democracy. That a party can secure majority by all means even without having the numbers, this mentality has lost out today.”

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alleged BJP was using all possible means including muscle and money power to swing the trust vote its way. The party demanded that the Karnataka Governor must take moral responsibility for the actions and resign immediately . “The BJP’s attempts to subvert the democratic institutions failed after the intervention of the courts. The Governor must resign taking moral responsibility for this mess,” said NCP leader Nawab Malik.