Days after fall of Kumaraswamy govt, Karnataka CM Yediyurappa to seek trust vote today

Three days after assuming the office of the Karnataka Chief Minister, state BJP president BS Yediyurappa will be seeking trust vote in Vidhana Soudha today, i.e. July 29, 2019. The BJP stalwart was sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka for a fourth time on Friday in a sudden twist to the protracted high voltage political drama in the state with a challenge to manage numbers staring him in the face.

Shortly after taking the oath, Yediyurappa said he would move a motion of confidence in the assembly on July 29 to prove his majority, apparently confident of winning it with 16 rebel Congress-JDS MLAs not taking part in the exercise. "The Karnataka assembly session will be called on July 29, Monday at 10 AM for moving confidence motion and for the passage of the finance bill," he said.

Speaking to reporters after holding cabinet meeting in state capital Bengaluru, the newly elected chief minister said the legislative council would begin its proceedings on July 30.

READ | Kumaraswamy was never at peace as Karnataka CM, cried for 15 minutes, says an 'emotional' Deve Gowda

Meanwhile, paving the way for the newly formed Yediyurappa government in the Karnataka Assembly, Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Sunday disqualified 14 more rebel MLAs under the anti-defection law, an action that reduces the majority, giving the Saffron fold an edge in Monday’s trust vote.

The effective strength of the 224-member assembly excluding the Speaker, who has a casting vote in case of a tie, is 207. The magic figure required will be 104.

READ | ‘100 per cent I will prove my majority’, says Yediyurappa on eve of trust vote

BJP, along with the support of one independent, has 106 members, Congress 66 (including nominated), JDS 34 and one BSP member, who has been expelled by the party for not voting for the Kumaraswamy government during the trust vote.

Kumar pronounced his ruling at a hurriedly called press conference amid indications from the BJP that it was mulling moving a no-confidence against him if he doesn't voluntarily give up the post when the assembly meets on Monday.

READ | Ahead of Monday's trust vote, rebel JDS MLAs to move Supreme Court against disqualification

The development comes after weeks of murky political drama and legal battle triggered by the resignation of rebel Congress and JDS MLAs that led to the fall of the coalition government on Tuesday.

The 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy collapsed on Tuesday after losing the vote of confidence in the assembly in a climax to the three-week long intense power struggle.