Karnataka CM planning to admit himself to hospital to delay trust vote, claim Independent MLAs

Two Independent MLAs of Karnataka – R Shankar and H Nagesh – who has pulled out their support from the Congress-JDS coalition government, has moved the Supreme Court seeking directions to the state government to conduct floor test on Monday. In their plea filed before the top court, the MLAs accused the Kumaraswamy government of stalling the trust vote using dubious tactics.

In their plea, the MLAs also claimed that in a bid to further delay the trust vote, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy was planning to get himself admitted to a hospital.

Plea sought the Supreme Court to “pass an appropriate order directing the floor test of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in which the vote of confidence to the Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister be conducted forthwith and completed on or before 5.00 PM on July 22, 2019.”

The MLAs, who pledged to support the BJP after breaking their association with the Kumaraswamy government, said that the Congress party was indulging in, what they called, a “shameful flouting of law and constitution.”

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Earlier on Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had moved the trust motion, but the house was adjourned till Friday due to acrimony by the Congress MLAs, who alleged that the BJP “abducted” one of their MLAs.

The floor test could not be conducted on Friday as well despite strict two deadlines by Governor Vajubhai Vala. He had first directed the Karnataka chief minister to hold the floor test by 1:30 pm and then again by 6:00 pm. Both could not be met, and the house was adjourned till Monday.

The Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Congress had also moved the Supreme Court accusing Governor Vajubhai Vala of interfering with the Assembly proceedings during the debate on trust vote and sought clarification on its July 17 order causing hindrance in issuing whip to the legislators.

A political engulfed the southern state after 16 of the ruling coalition's legislators and two independents resigned from the Assembly. Their resignations put the Kumaraswamy government's future in jeopardy and necessitated the trust vote.