Congress, JD-S MLAs confined to hotels as Kumaraswamy faces trust vote today

Ahead of Kumaraswamy government’s trust vote in Karnataka, the Congress and the JD-S MLAs are still  confined to hotels in fear of horse trading attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Since last nine days, the MLAs were kept away from the outside world after the electorate delivered a fractured mandate in Karnataka Assembly election on May 15.

There were reports that the MLAs were not even allowed to use mobile phones so that they can contact their families. However, both the Congress and the JD-S had denied the reports.

The MLAs were being kept away from media glares at unknown locations in wake of BJP’s alleged poaching attempt to lure them to switch sides.

As no political party secured a clear majority, the Congress and JD-S stitched a post-poll alliance in a bid to keep the BJP out of power. The BJP had won 104 seats, seven short of the 111-halfway mark for a simple majority.

On Wednesday, the leader of the coalition HD Kumaraswamy and Congress’ G Parameshwara were sworn-in as chief minister and deputy chief minister, respectively.

Kumaraswamy will seek a vote of confidence on the floor of the House on Friday. Although he was widely expected to win the trust vote, the Congress and the JD-S were not ready to take chances.

The Congress has lodged its MLAs at the Hilton Embassy Golflinks at Domlur, while their JD(S) counterparts are staying at Prestige Golfshire Resort off Devanahallion the outskirts of Bengaluru city.

“Our MLAs will be in the resort till the floor test is over. They will then be free to unite with their families,” PTI quoted a Congress leader, who did not wish to be identified, as saying.

“There is a wrong impression that our MLAs are confined. If this is confinement, then everybody would wish to be like them. People are forgetting that they are in the top luxury resort, which ordinary people cannot afford,” he said.

Kumaraswamy became the chief minister after BS Yeddyurappa announced his resignation on May 19, without facing a trust vote as the BJP, which was seven short of the majority, failed to arrange numbers.

(With inputs from agencies)