Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy with his deputy G Parameshwara during Assembly Session at Vidhana Soudha, in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo)
Karnataka floor test highlights: Setting a new deadline of 6 pm Tuesday to complete the vote, Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Monday adjourned the house. Earlier in the day, Speaker K R Ramesh had expressed his discontent over wasting time in the name of discussion. “People are watching. In the name of discussion, if an opinion is created that we are wasting time, it won’t be right on my part or anybody else’s,” he had said.
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Amid the ongoing chaos in the Assembly by the BJP leaders, a letter, that appeared to be that of the resignation of Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy, surfaced on Monday and was circulated on social media spreading rumours of the chief minister putting down his papers. However, terming it a “cheap level of publicity”, Kumaraswamy said the letter was fake and his signature had been forged. “I got the information that I have tendered my resignation to the governor. I don’t know who is waiting to become the CM. Someone has forged my signature and spread the same on social media. I’m shocked at the cheap level of publicity,” news agency ANI quoted the CM as saying.
The Supreme Court, meanwhile, refused to give an early hearing to the plea of two Independent Karnataka MLAs seeking directions to the Speaker to conclude the floor test before 5 pm today. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, “Impossible. We have never done this before. Tomorrow we may see to it.”
Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa holds a meeting with party MLAs at a resort in Bengaluru on Sunday. (PTI)
Senior Congress leader RV Deshpande appealed to BJP's BS Yeddyurappa to let the House be adjourned for the day. But Speaker Ramesh rejected his appeal saying that he has to keep his promise that he made on Friday that the process of confidence motion would be completed today.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh tries to bring the House back in order. He says, "This is a question of the survival of a ruling government. There is no ruling and opposition party here. Instead, we have an incumbent ruling (party) and an outgoing ruling (party) here. This is the problem. In a parliamentary democracy, if there were to be a clear distinction between a ruling party and an opposition party, it is very easy for a Speaker to arrive at a decision. (But), we have reached a very difficult state. My only misfortune is (that) I am presiding over these proceedings."
"Whatever it may be, we are not ready for a vote of confidence today. It is practically and humanly not possible," Urban Development minister UT Khader says, to which BJP MLAs reply, "We are ready." Legislators from the opposition raise hands and requests deputy speaker to count the votes. Ruckus continues in Vidhana Soudha.
Karnataka Assembly still active. Ruckus in the House as legislators debate whether to continue session after dinner or resume tomorrow morning. "We can even start tomorrow at 9 am, many of us including BJP's B S Yeddyurappa are diabetic patients," Congress MLAs.
Terming the Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka 'unholy', BJP's C T Ravi said if leaders of the coalition, who are now willing to speaking on confidence motion, had worked for people, they wouldn't have had to prove their government's majority in the assembly.
Congress' D K Shivakumar said Speaker has served notice to rebel MLAs, giving them time till 11 am Tuesday. "BJP is trying to convince them that they won't be disqualified & they will be made ministers. As per Constitution of India, you can't be made a member once you're disqualified," he added.
"I got information that I have tendered my resignation to the Governor. I don't know who is waiting to become CM. Someone has forged my signature & spread the same on social media. I'm shocked at the cheap level of publicity," said CM HD Kumaraswamy.
A letter was seen to be kept on the table of CM H D Kumaraswamy at Vidhana Soudha, appearing to be his resignation letter. Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said the letter is fake.
Replying to HK Patil's statement, Speaker K R Ramesh says, "Don't push me to a point where I'll have to take a decision without asking you. The consequences will be disastrous."
Congress MLA HK Patil says speaking and debating over confidence motion will be right only after Supreme Court takes a decision Tuesday. "After the Supreme Court takes a decision tomorrow, then it'll be right to speak and debate on this issue," he said.
Amid allegations by the BJP that he had a role in the escape of IMA ponzi scam accused Mohammed Mansoor Khan, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy Monday said he “did not eat biryani” with him. Kumaraswamy’s response came in an apparent reference to a picture of him purportedly showing sharing a meal with Khan. Read more...
BS Yeddyurappa says, " We didn't protest when they (Congress-JDS) were speaking. Siddaramaiah,CM&you(Speaker)promised floor test on Monday. When our chief Whip was called,we stated we'll be here till late night till all debates conclude.Please allow us to go ahead with confidence motion."
Discussion is underway in the Assembly on when to hold the trust vote.
Kumaraswamy is holding the post of chief minister unconstitutionally, tweets BJP.
BJP's BS Yeddyurappa said, "CM had promised that he will finish it (trust vote) today and prove the majority today. Now I've spoken to Sunil, the chief whip, over finishing it today. We will be in the house till 12 am," ANI reported.
Karnataka assembly session resumes after 2-hour break. During the break, the Speaker held two rounds of meeting — one each with BJP and Congress-JD(S) MLAs.
Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar holds a meeting with Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, Karnataka Deputy CM G Parameshwara, Sa Ra Mahesh (JDS), Krishna Byre Gowda (Congress) & Siddaramaiah (Congress), in his chamber at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru.
Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar holds a meeting with BJP leaders-Sunil Kumar, Basavaraj Bommai, CT Ravi & JDS leaders-Sa Ra Mahesh, HD Revanna, Bandeppa Kashempur, in his chamber at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru.
At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the MLAs, said that he has filed a new petition in the Karnataka matter and it be heard either during the day or tomorrow on urgent basis.
"The floor test is being delayed on one pretext or the other," he said.
He said when the Congress-JD(S) coalition can take orders for holding of floor test earlier, then same order can be issued now.
The bench, which also comprised Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said, "Impossible (to list today). We have never done this before. Tomorrow we may see to it." (PTI)
The Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday a fresh plea of two Independent Karnataka MLAs seeking holding of the floor test "forthwith" in the state Assembly on the trust motion moved by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Monday declined to hear during the day the plea by R Shankar and H Nagesh.
"On mentioning, the matter is taken on board. List the matter tomorrow before the appropriate bench as per the roster," the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose, said in its order. (PTI)
Karnataka assembly has been adjourned for 10 minutes following an uproar by the MLAs of JD(S)-Congress at the well of the House, reported ANI. However, MLAs continue to stay inside the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru even as the session has been adjourned for 10 minutes. Before the assembly was adjourned, the JDS and Congress members raised slogans saying, "we want
justice, we want discussion." They said the Supreme Court itsel had not shown urgency on the issue as it had refused urgent hearing of pleas by two independent MLAs for floor test forthwith.
Karnataka Home Minister M B Patil calls an official meeting with Commissioner of Police, to discuss about the zero traffic reportedly provided to rebel MLAs when they returned to Bengaluru to meet the Speaker. JD(S) MLA, AT Ramaswamy had raised this matter in the Assembly today, reported ANI.
JD(S) MLA AT Ramaswamy walked out of the Vidhana Soudha following state home minister MB Patil's statement on zero traffic reportedly given to rebel MLAs. Ramaswamy had said, "If Home Minister is lying blatantly in front of the House, how can I stay here?
Karnataka Home Minister M B Patil denied providing zero traffic to the rebel MLAs. "Only because Governor had asked us to provide them (rebel MLAs) security, we did that. Zero traffic was not provided to them." Congress leader H K Patil said the home minister needs to investigate the matter. "Let the home minister investigate this again as everyone has seen how they were given zero traffic. MB Patil will have to gather more information and he has to find out who gave the permission," he said.
Responding to MLA Ranganath's demand to let him speak in Karnataka Assembly, Speaker K R Ramesh said, "You had asked to give permission for 'backbenchers' to speak and as you said, I've been managing all 'tigers' sitting in the front. This is a big circus company, please cooperate."
Calling upon the Karnataka governor to save democracy, Muralidhar Rao said, " Today a full stop should be put to all this, Governor should take a decision."
BJP National General Secretary P Muralidhar Rao accused the Congress-JD(S) of violating constitutional rights. "Democracy is being murdered. Court has allowed the 15 MLAs (rebel MLAs) that they may or may not be present there. They (Karnataka govt) don't have the number. They're in minority."
Siddaramaiah denied CT Ravi's allegations of him crossing over from JD(S) to Congress and said that he never left the party but was expelled. "CT Ravi doesn't have the proper info. I didn't leave JD(S), I was expelled. I didn't join Congress immediately. I was forming Ahinda party. I was expelled from JD(S) in May 2005. I joined Congress in 2006. Wrong info shouldn't be recorded here.
Karnataka Vidhan Soudha reconvenes. Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar says each member will speak only for 10 minutes. "Don’t make me say this again and again," he asserts.
Congress leader Siddaramaiah said the Congress-JDS alliance is ready to prove majority in Vidhana Soudha and the Karnataka Speaker will take the call on the confidence motion. "Speaker will take a call on confidence motion. We have already told that we will prove the confidence in Vidhana Soudha. Case is pending in Supreme Court. We have also filed the petition, most probably tomorrow Supreme Court will hear our plea," he said. He also claimed that the dissident MLAs have said they have not been living comfortably and expressed the feeling that they could have stayed back. "If the rebel MLAs come back then they will be with us. Rebels have told (us) that they are not living comfortably, they could have stayed back here itself," Siddaramaiah added.
A whip in parliamentary parlance is a written order that party members be present for an important vote, or that they vote only in a particular way. The term is derived from the old British practice of “whipping in” lawmakers to follow the party line. The importance of a whip can be inferred from the number of times an order is underlined.
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The Karnataka Assembly session has been adjourned for lunch break. Proceedings will resume at 3.30 PM.
Karnataka Congress minister Krishna Byre Gowda insisted that the Speaker should make a decision on the disqualification of rebel MLAs first and then hold the trust vote
The BJP Monday asked Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy "to resign and go" if he has faith in the Constitution and people of the state. The BJP said Kumaraswamy himself moved the confidence motion but the trust process was still prolonging. On its Facebook page, the BJP said, "If at all you have faith and respect for the Constitution and the people of the state, you resign and go home." The BJP ran a hashtag in Kannada, "people of the state will not forgive you."
Launching an attack on the BJP, senior Congress leader DK Shivakumar said, "Why is the BJP not accepting it wants the chair? Why are they not accepting the fact that they are behind 'operation lotus'? They should accept that they have spoken to these(rebel) MLAs."
The proceedings were adjourned till Monday after the Speaker extracted a commitment from the government that the process would be completed by Monday itself. "It will not bring respect to the House or to me," the Speaker made his position clear, implying that the trust vote should not be delayed further. "We are in public life. People are watching. In the name of discussion, if an opinion is created that we are wasting time, it won't be right on my part or anybody else's," he said.
Anand Murthy, an advocate, has filed PIL in Karnataka High Court, alleging that trust vote is being deliberately delayed, reported news agency ANI
The BJP has insisted on completing the trust vote process today itself as Karnataka Assembly proceedings begin. BJP state chief B S Yeddyurappa said, “Kumaraswamy has been saying he does not want to stick on to the chief minister’s chair. In the past three days, it has been apparent to the people of Karnataka the extent to which he is stuck to the chief minister’s chair.”
Addressing the House, Speaker said, " I will have to pass a ruling today. I was delayed as I was checking the Supreme Court order. In your speeches, today, make sure that the dignity of Assembly is kept alive. These are time stalling tactics being used. It harms the image of Assembly, Speaker and also the image of you as MLAs."
The Karnataka Assembly session has finally begun. The Speaker apologises to the House for starting an hour after schedule, says he was reading the Supreme Court's order this morning. Putting speculation to bed, Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar says the floor test will be held today. "A BJP delegation met me this morning and asked for the floor test to be held today," he added.
In the past fortnight, the BJP’s hand in moving 13 Congress-JD(S) rebels, and two Independents who were ministers in the coalition, to Mumbai, has been evident on various fronts — state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa’s secretary N R Santhosh was spotted by Karnataka televisions cameras while helping rebels board chartered flights to Mumbai.
The real window into the BJP’s game plan to topple the coalition came in February when Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy used the services of Sharanagouda Kandakur, the son of a JD(S) MLA, to trap Yeddyurappa while making a defection offer. “We are taking 20 people on board. We will make around 12 people who join us ministers and around eight people chairmen of corporations. Those whom we make ministers, we will give Rs 10 crore,” Yeddyurappa was heard saying in the JD(S) sting tapes.
Amid uncertainty over the future of the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka following resignations by rebel MLAs, one of the concerns of Congress leaders is that Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar will show no favouritism despite being a Congress leader for many years.
With his sizeable experience as Speaker, Kumar is known to generally follow the rule book when it comes to making decisions. “I cannot stray from the rules even if it benefits some but not others,’’ Kumar said after deciding to examine in-depth the resignations of MLAs who met him following SC's directions. “I am not a follower of anybody or a leader of anybody. I am a follower of the Constitution of India,’’ the Speaker said this week when asked if any political bias would creep into his decision-making with regard to the MLAs who have submitted their resignations. Read more
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has requested Speaker Ramesh Kumar to hold trust vote on July 24 (Wednesday). He has cited that the Supreme Court is yet to respond to his petition seeking clarification on the 'whip' issue. However, the Speaker is yet to respond to his request. (Read our explainer on whips)
Amid the uncertainty over Karnataka trust vote, the Congress troubleshooter D K Shivakumar claimed Kumaraswamy has told the Congress that it can appoint any leader of its choice as CM to save the coalition. There was, however, no confirmation from the JDS that it has made such a proposal though there were reports earlier that such a suggestion by Kumaraswamy was shot down by his father and JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda, news agency PTI reported.
Rajya Sabha proceedings were Monday adjourned for an hour following an uproar in the House by Congress and other opposition parties over issues ranging from crisis in Karnataka to mob lynching. While Congress members gave notice under Rule 267 seeking setting aside of the business of the day to take up the issue of Constitutional crisis in Karnataka, TMC members sent a similar notice over killings in Sonbhadra district of UP and a similar notice on mob lynching in Bihar by other opposition parties.
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Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar has summoned rebel MLAs to meet him at his office at 11 am on July 23. The notice has been issued over disqualification (of rebel MLAs) petition by coalition leaders.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi mentions plea of the MLAs and says the floor test “is being delayed continuously on one pretext or other”. He urged the court to take up the petition today itself. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, however, said it was 'impossible'. On being asked if the plea would be listed tomorrow, Gogoi said the bench 'will look into it.'
The Supreme Court Monday refused to give an early hearing to the plea of two Independent Karnataka MLAs seeking directions to the Speaker to conclude the floor test before 5 pm today. The court said the petition of Independent legislators R Shankar and H Nagesh might be taken up tomorrow.
Ahead of the trust vote, BJP leaders and former CM B S Yeddyurappa have arrived at Karnataka Assembly. The trust vote process on Monday may witness lengthy speeches by coalition MLAs while the BJP has decided to refrain from speaking at length in order to ensure that the trust vote is completed by the end of the day.
Congress MP, BK Hariprasad has given notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267, for suspension of business for discussion over 'Constitutional crisis in Karnataka.'
Apart from the plea of the two Independent MLAs, CM Kumaraswamy also approached the apex court questioning Governor Vala’s deadlines to the Karnataka Assembly. Healso sought clarification on the top court’s direction that 15 rebel coalition MLAs cannot be “compelled” to attend the proceedings of the House.
Kumaraswamy, and state Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao in a separate plea, also sought clarification on the SC’s interim order of July 17, when the court left it open to the Karnataka Speaker to decide on the resignations of 15 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs but also ordered that the MLAs should not be “compelled” to attend the ongoing session of the Assembly.
As the Karnataka Assembly debates the confidence motion, here's a look at how the numbers are currently stacked: The Congress-JDS coalition has 117 MLAs — Congress has 78, JD(S) 37 and BSP 1 and the Speaker — while the BJP has 105 MLAs and the support of two Independents. If the Speaker accepts the resignations of 15 MLAs (12 from Congress and three from JDS), the ruling coalition's numbers will come down to 102.
The assembly was adjourned till Monday after the Governor's deadline to conclude the vote by the end of Friday was ignored. Earlier Governor Vajubhai Vala had written a letter to Speaker K R Ramesh asking him to hold the test on Thursday and then shot a letter to CM Kumarasway setting the deadline at 1.30 pm Friday. During the House proceedings today, Congress and BJP were engaged in a war of words over the trust vote. While Congress alleged that the BJP had “abducted” one of its MLA, the saffron party said that the coalition wanted to postpone the floor test.
Karnataka social welfare minister Priyank Kharge took a dig at the regional media in the state making a sarcastic remark which says, "They seem to have interpreted the Constitution,anti-defection law & Governor’s role better than legal experts." The tweet was made on Monday morning, just hours ahead of the crucial legislative session.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has directed N Mahesh, the lone BSP MLA in Karnataka, to vote in favour of the Kumaraswamy government in the state. "BSP national president Mayawati has directed the BSP MLA to vote in support of the Kumaraswamy government," the BSP chief said Sunday in a tweet.
Hours ahead of the floor test, BJP leaders have a healthy morning in Bengaluru resort
Independent legislators R Shankar and H Nagesh, who quit the Congress-JDS alliance, are going to move Supreme Court seeking a direction that the floor test in the Assembly be conducted before 5 pm on Monday as they fear Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy “may make himself scarce” to avoid the trust vote.
In their petition, the MLAs said, “It is apprehended that the Chief Minister of Karnataka, who is heading the minority government, may make himself scarce from the proceedings on 22.7.19. It has been reliably learnt that in a desperate attempt to avoid the trust vote, the Chief Minister of Karnataka may also rake up an emergent situation and use medical emergencies including hospitalisation.” Read more
A sign of the Opposition BJP’s single-minded determination to win the trust vote against the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka has been evident in its refusal to be baited into a clash with ruling MLAs in the Assembly despite allegations of BJP leaders paying MLAs to defect and topple the government.
Despite the accusations of BJP leaders buying their MLAs, the BJP maintained stoic silence in the House, refusing to create a situation where MLAs could be suspended for unruly behaviour ahead of the trust vote, thus reducing its numbers.
Ahead of the crucial trust vote Monday, BJP Karnataka chief BS Yeddyurappa exuded confidence that it would be the last day of the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the state. “As (senior Congress leader) Siddaramaiah, the speaker and Kumaraswamy have said that they will seek majority Monday, I am 100 per cent confident that things will reach a conclusion. I am confident that tomorrow will be the last day of the Kumaraswamy government,” PTI quoted the former chief minister as saying on Sunday.
Referring to the two defied deadlines by Governor Vajubhai Vala for conducting a trust vote, Yeddyurappa alleged the ruling coalition was unnecessarily buying time despite knowing that the whip issued to the ruling coalition MLAs was of no use.