Yeddyurappa survives trust vote again

Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday won the fresh round of confidence motion comfortably even as the opposition Congress walked out of the state legislative assembly. This is the third time in eight months that the BJP government has won the confidence motion after it won the first two rounds on October 11 and October 14, 2010.

“The confidence motion, moved by the chief minister on the floor of the 225-member house (including one nominated) has been voted in favour by 119 votes against none,” assembly speaker K G Bopaiah announced.

All 71 members of the Congress staged a walk out amidst noisy scenes. The other opposition party - Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S), which has 26 members in the house, remained absent as it had decided to boycott the 10-day extended budget session.

Though there was no demand by the opposition or any directive by state governor H R Bhardwaj to the chief minister for proving the majority in the house, Yeddyurappa decided to move the one-line confidence motion suo motu on the first day of the 10-day budget session to prove that his ruling party enjoyed a majority in the house.

“I have moved the confidence motion to demonstrate that we have a comfortable majority in the assembly. Even the 11 legislators whose membership was restored by the Supreme Court recently (May 13) have also extended unconditional support to my government,” Yeddyurappa told reporters soon after the house was adjourned for the day.

With the return of the 11 rebel legislators to the party fold, the BJP has 120 members, including the speaker, the Congress 71, and the JD(S) 26. Out of six independents, one member is supporting the BJP, while one assembly seat is vacant following the resignation of JD(S) legislator Karadi Sanganna after he abstained from second trust vote on October 14, 2010.