D-day for Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JDS coalition govt as Governor sets deadline of 1:30 pm today

Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JDS coalition government has only a few hours to prove its majority in the Karnataka Assembly as Governor Vajubhai Vala has set a deadline of 1.30 pm today. "I require you to prove your majority on the floor of the House on or before 1:30 pm tomorrow (Friday)," said Vala in a letter to the Chief Minister within hours after Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar adjourned the Assembly to meet on Friday at 11 am.

In his letter to the chief minister, the Governor observed that resignation of 15 ruling combine MLAs and withdrawal of support by two independents "prima facie" indicated he has lost the confidence of the House.

"Though a message as contemplated under Article 175 (2) is sent to the Speaker, I'm informed that the House is adjourned today. Under these circumstances, I request you to prove your majority on the floor of the House on or before 1:30 pm tomorrow (Friday)," the letter to Kumaraswamy reads.       

He said the resignation of 15 Congress and JDS MLAs and two independents withdrawing their support to the government and other circumstances do "prima facie" indicate that Chief Minister has last majority or confidence of the House.

"In my capacity as the head of the state I had not intervened on the matter having regard to the fact that the House was called and Trust vote has been moved. However, it has been reported to me that the proceedings of the House today for vote of confidence has been stalled and consequently adjourned without reaching any finality. This cannot go on in a democratic set up governed by the constitution of India," the governor said in his letter, copies of which were made available to media.

Earlier in the day, chaotic scenes emerged from Karnataka Assembly after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy moved trust motion. During the debate on no-confidence motion, Congress leader DK Shivakumar alleged that the BJP "abducted" his party MLA Shrimant Patil, who had gone incommunicado right before trust vote and was later found to be admitted at a hospital in Mumbai.

Before the House was adjourned, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa declared that his party members would stay put in the House itself overnight and even till the time the trust vote was decided. "There has been a breach of constitutional framework,” Yeddyurappa said, adding that “to protest against this, we will sleep here itself.”