Karnataka Floor Test Live Updates: Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar tendered his resignation today
Karnataka Floor Test Live Updates: Minutes after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa won the trust vote against his government in the Assembly, Speaker K R Ramesh Monday tendered his resignation from the House. Handing over his resignation letter to Deputy Speaker Krishna Reddy, Kumar said during his 14-month-long tenure as Speaker, he had worked according to his “conscience” and in accordance with the Constitution. “I have upheld the dignity of office to the best of my ability,” he added.
Meanwhile, moving the confidence motion, B S Yediyurappa said he will not be involved in vindictive politics and requested Opposition’s cooperation. “Forget and forgive is something I believe in. I love people who oppose me as well,” he said. Countering him, former CM and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said BSY lacks the mandate of the people and that his government is unconstitutional. “We hope you will be the chief minister but there is no guarantee of that. You are with the rebels, can you give a stable government? It’s impossible!” he said.
Two of the 17 disqualified MLAs, on the other hand, want the Supreme Court to examine Speaker’s decision. All the disqualified MLAs were associated with the rebellion against the Congress-JD(S) government headed by H D Kumaraswamy and were expecting to be inducted into the BJP cabinet. The disqualification bars the legislators from contesting Assembly polls for the term of the current Assembly — 46 more months unless mid-term polls are called — and also bars them from holding constitutional posts during this period.
Karnataka state Governor Vajubhai Vala, right, administers the oath of office to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader B.S. Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister (AP)
Karnataka Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar announces resignation. The 69-year-old who represents Congress from Srinivasapura constituency in Kolar gave his farewell speech soon after Yediyurappa won the floor test.
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday proved his majority in the Assembly winning the confidence motion by a voice vote.
With the numbers game favouring the BJP government, the Congress and JDS did not press for division on the one-line motion moved by Yediyurappa that the House expresses confidence in his three-day old Ministry. As the Opposition did not press for division, the Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar declared that the motion had been passed by a voice vote.
"Unfortunately, Yediyurappa has never been CM with people's mandate. Where's the mandate? You didn't have it in 2008, 2018 or even now. When he took oath there were 222 MLAs in House, where did BJP have 112 MLAs for the majority? They had 105 seats. That is not a mandate. We hope you (BS Yediyurappa) will be the chief minister but there is no guarantee of that. You are with the rebels, can you give a stable government? It's impossible! I oppose this confidence motion because the reason is this government is unconstitutional and immoral," says Siddaramaiah
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there was no administration paralysis in the last government and that the coalition worked towards bringing to force common minimum program. Wishing the new CM well, he said, "We discussed HD Kumaraswamy's confidence motion over 4 days. I too participated in that and I don't wish to speak about it. I could've spoken about circumstances under which Yediyurappa became CM. I wish him well and welcome his assurance that he'll work for people. We're elected to work for people and we must try to do that. I attempted this as CM and so did HD Kumaraswamy.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah as well as JP Nadda, the CM said, "Forget and forgive is something I believe in. I love people who oppose me as well. I want to thank Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda."
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has moved the confidence motion in the Assembly. "When Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy were CMs they didn't indulge in vindictive politics. Admin has failed and we will set it right. I assure the House that we won't indulge in vindictive politics either. I believe in forget and forgive," he said in the Assembly, news agency ANI reported
Two disqualified MLAs from Karnataka - Ramesh L. Jarkhiholi & Mahesh Kumathallu - want Supreme Court to examine Assembly Speaker’s July 25 order rejecting their resignations & disqualifying them
B S Yediyurappa has reached Karnataka Assembly. Meanwhile, the Congress legislative party (CLP) meeting begins at Vidhana soudha. CLP leader Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dinesh Gundu Rao, KJ George, Priyank Kharge, MB Patil, Eshwar Khandre and and other Congress MLAs are present.
Only three chief ministers — all from the Congress — have been able to complete their full five-year term in the history of Karnataka. S Nijalingappa (1962-68), D Devaraja Urs (1972-77) and Siddaramaiah (2013-2018) were the chief ministers who had completed their full term. No chief minister from the BJP and Kumaraswamy’s JD(S) could manage to complete the full term in Karnataka.
Five disqualified Congress MLAs returned to Bengaluru. The rebels were camping in Mumbai after they tendered their resignations.
A day ahead of seeking the trust vote in the Karnataka assembly, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday expressed confidence about proving the majority. He also said that the finance bill prepared by the previous Congress-JD(S) government would be tabled by him in the assembly on Monday, without any changes.
“On Monday hundred per cent I will prove the majority,” Yediyurappa told reporters. The finance bill (appropriation bill) needs to be passed “urgently”, as otherwise “we will not be able to draw funds even to pay salaries,” he said. “So tomorrow after moving the confidence motion, we will first take up the finance bill. I have not even changed a comma or full stop in it. I will be tabling the finance bill prepared by the (previous) Congress-JD(S) government,” he added.
The BJP, which formed a one-man government headed by B S Yediyurappa on July 26 after the Congress-JD(S) government lost the trust vote, now has a clear majority of 105 legislators, apart from the support of one Independent MLA. The Congress strength is down to 67 and the JD(S) to 34; the House also has one BSP MLA.
Welcome to The Indian Express live blog on Karnataka floor test. The newly sworn-in Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa Monday will face a crucial trust vote as he fights to prove his majority in the state Assembly. Follow this space to track the latest news