Karnataka: Speaker resigns soon after Yediyurappa government wins trust vote
The Congress claimed BS Yediyurappa had never become chief minister through the people’s mandate.
Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar resigned from his post on Monday, soon after officiating the floor test of the new BS Yediyurappa government. The chief minister and his Bharatiya Janata Party won the trust vote.
Yediyurappa’s government replaced the 14-month-long ruling coalition of the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), which collapsed last week. The coalition failed after 15 of its MLAs and two independent MLAs withdrew their support in the Assembly.
Here are the top updates:
4.43 pm: BJP leaders KG Bopaiah, Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri and Jagadish Shettar are in the race to succeed KR Ramesh Kumar as Assembly Speaker, reports News9.
1.22 pm: On KR Ramesh Kumar, Siddaramaiah says he served excellently as the Speaker “without any prejudice”. “His honest decisions have set an example in the country showing how a speaker should conduct himself.”
1.15 pm: Siddaramaiah says Yediyurappa has taken oath four times, but lacked the numbers in all instances. “Having 105 seats is not people’s mandate,” the Congress leader says. “He is like a ‘Crony Capitalist’ who manufacturers numbers in a way that is harmful for a democratic nation.”
1.14 pm: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says he would like to see Yediyurappa complete his term, but claims it is not possible because of the “unholy way” the BJP formed the government. He says the BJP is dependent on “those who have lost all morals”.
In a tweet, Siddaramaiah says: “This government is nothing but unconstitutional & immoral. When [Yediyurappa] took the oath, halfway mark was 111 but how on earth did they show numbers to the governor.”
1.10 pm: KR Ramesh Kumar says that during his 14-month-long tenure as the Speaker, he worked according to his “conscience” and in accordance with the Constitution, PTI reports. “I have upheld the dignity of office to the best of my ability,” he says.
12.33 pm: Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar resigns from his post, News9 reports. The Deputy Speaker adjourns the House till 5 pm.
12.27 pm: BS Yediyurappa tweets that winning the trust vote is “one more step closer towards a stable and strong administration”. “Will uphold the trust by ensuring transparent and accountable governance,” he says. “I would like to thank the citizens, MLAs and each and every BJP [worker] for the trust placed in me.”
12.25 pm: The Karnataka Congress says that Yediyurappa has never become the chief minister through people’s mandate. “Everytime, his expertise in horse trading and resort politics have made him Chief Minister,” the party tweets. “Operation Kamala may have won him the Trust Vote today, but he doesn’t have the trust of the people of Karnataka.”
11.46 am: The BS Yediyurappa government wins the floor test through a voice vote, ANI reports. Yediyurappa assures clean governance and requests cooperation from the Opposition.
11.44 am: Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar stops the address by Congress and JD(S) members and asks Yediyurappa to move the confidence motion, News9 reports.
11.43 am: Kumaraswamy says power is not permanent. He says his party will not try to bring down the BJP’s number down from 105.
11.40 am: Kumaraswamy says the BJP left the rebel MLAs “on the roads”, ANI reports. “Since last week I’ve been seeing all developments,” he says. “Speaker’s decision [to disqualify rebel MLAs] sends a strong message. He didn’t act in hurry. He looked into the matter very carefully, and looked looked into each case.”
11.38 am: “The rebel MLAs have started paying up for mistakes committed by them,” says Kumaraswamy in the House.
11.35 am: Kumaraswamy says his coalition government functioned in a “suffocated environment”, and the BJP should be thankful to the rebel Congress and JD(S) leaders whose resignations helped it form the government.
11.33 am: Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy addresses the Assembly, says his coalition worked extensively for the farmers, while the BJP always taunted them. He says his government worked promptly for the people of the state. He urges the new chief minister to implement farm loan waivers soon, News9 reports.
11.27 am: The BJP government will collapse any moment soon, claims Siddaramaiah. “I oppose this confidence motion because this government is unconstitutional and immoral,” the Congress leader says.
11.25 am: Siddaramaiah claims there is no chance that the BJP will be able to give a stable government, reports News9.
11.23 am: Siddaramaiah says the Kumaraswamy government gave clean and transparent governance in 14 months, and worked for farmers and weavers, News9 reports.
11.22 am: Siddaramaiah says the coalition government of Congress and JD(S) was accepted by the people of Karnataka, News9 reports.
11.21 am: Congress leader Siddaramaiah is addressing the House. He says: “We discussed HD Kumaraswamy’s confidence motion over four days. I too participated in that and I don’t wish to speak about it. I could have spoken about the circumstances under which Yediyurappa became CM. I wish him well and welcome his assurance that he will work for people.”
11.19 am: “When Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy were chief ministers, they didn’t indulge in vindictive politics,” says Yediyurappa. “The administration has failed and we will set it right. I assurance the House that we won’t indulge in vindictive politics either. I believe in forget and forgive.”
11.16 am: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa moves the confidence motion in the Vidhana Soudha.
11.05 am: Disqualified MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumathalli and R Shankar to move the Supreme Court to challenge their disqualification.
10.44 am: Congress leaders have arrived at the Vidhana Soudha ahead of the trust vote, News9 reports.
10.35 am: Disqualified MLA ST Somashekar holds press conference ahead of floor test, says he will continue his battle in the Supreme Court, News9 reports.
10.28 am: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief Dinesh Gundu Rao says BJP’s criticism of the disqualification of MLAs shows that the party indulged in horse trading, News9 reports.
10.14 am: Five disqualified Congress MLA return to Bengaluru from Mumbai, reports ANI.
10.10 am: Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy holds talks with Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Devegowda ahead of the floor test, reports News9.
10.07 am: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa arrives at the Vidhana Soudha ahead of the trust vote, reports ANI.
10.05 am: Congress Legislature Party meeting begins at Vidhana Soudha, reports ANI. Congress Legislature Party 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.
9.05 am: BJP issues whip to all its MLAs ahead of the crucial floor test, asking them to vote in favour of BS Yediyurappa, reports News9.
9 am: The Congress is set to hold a meeting ahead of the floor test on Monday. The Congress Legislature Party meeting will be chaired by Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha at 9 am, reports News9.
8.55 am: Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Devegowda said the future of his party’s alliance with Congress would depend on the decision of the high command of the Congress, based on the advice of their Karnataka leadership, PTI reported.
Devegowda said Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah would officially be the leader of the Opposition in the assembly and not his son and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.
8.50 am: Congress leader Siddaramaiah welcomed the Speaker’s decision to disqualify 14 MLAs. “This honest decision of speaker will send strong signals for all the representatives in the country who might fall for BJP’s trap,” he said on Twitter.
8.45 am: Here are the top updates from Karnataka on Sunday:
- Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar disqualified 14 rebel legislators from the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress.
- Former Janata Dal (Secular) President and rebel Karnataka legislator AH Vishwanath on Sunday said that the MLAs disqualified by Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar will approach the Supreme Court on Monday.
- Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said he was confident that he will prove majority. “On Monday, 100% I will prove the majority,” he said.
- Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy dismissed reports that claimed a group of the party’s legislators were in favour of providing external support to the new government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party.