Karnataka floor test | Received a second ‘love letter’ from governor, it hurts me: CM Kumaraswamy

HD Kumaraswamy on Friday hit out at Governor Vajubhai Vala after the latter a sent another letter to the Karnataka Chief Minister, asking him to prove his government’s majority before 6 pm. “I have respect for the governor. But the second love letter from the governor has hurt me. He only came to know about the horse-trading 10 days ago?” Kumaraswamy said in the state assembly while showing photos of BS Yeddyurappa's PA Santosh, reportedly boarding a plane with independent MLA H Nagesh.

The letter was written after the Karnataka Assembly defied the governor’s trust vote deadline and continued the session even after 1:30 pm. Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said “unless the discussion is complete, you cannot press for division (of votes for floor test).”

“I leave the decision on the floor test to you (the Speaker). It won't be directed by Delhi. I request you to protect me from the letter sent by the governor,” said the CM said.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in state Assembly: I leave the decision on the floor test to you (the Speaker). It won't be directed by Delhi. I request you to protect me from the letter sent by the Governor. https://t.co/zUHJxNKpIZ

— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019

Earlier in the day. Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said “unless the discussion is complete, you cannot press for division (of votes for floor test).”

He had also said that the onus lies with Kumaraswamy as the Governor's order was sent to him, so he has to decide whether the order has to be followed or not.”

A day ahead of the trust vote, senior Congress lawmaker Ramalinga Reddy said he would withdraw his resignation, giving some relief to the ruling coalition. The ruling coalition's strength in the House is 117--Congress 78, JD(S) 37, BSP 1, and nominated 1, besides the Speaker. With the support of the two independents, the opposition BJP has 107 MLAs in the 225-member House, including the nominated MLA and Speaker.

If the resignations of the 15 MLAs (12 from Congress and 3 from JDS) are accepted, the ruling coalition's tally will plummet to 101, (excluding speaker) reducing the 14-month-old Kumaraswamy government to a minority.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Congress moved the Supreme Court on Friday contending that its July 17 order on the resignation of 15 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs was coming in the way of the party issuing whip to its legislators in the ongoing trust vote. The application filed by Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao sought clarification on the order, which said the 15 rebel MLAs cannot be compelled to participate in the ongoing Assembly proceedings, saying that the direction compromises with the party's right to issue whip. 

 It said the apex court's order "whittles down" the power of a political party to issue whip to its MLAs as it  has a constitutional right to do so and the court can't restrict that. 

(With PTI inputs)