Karnataka floor test: It's a win for BJP as CM Yediyurappa proves majority

The Bharatiya Janata Party government managed to win the trust with a voice vote in its favour after the Speaker disqualified 14 rebel MLAs on Sunday

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government on Monday proved the majority in the Assembly, winning a floor test in the House. With only 208 members in the House as speaker K R Ramesh Kumar disqualified 14 rebel MLAs, all 105 BJP MLAs chose Yediyurappa in a voice vote. The government needed only 105 votes in the House with reduced strength.

The trust vote took place after speaker K R Ramesh Kumar disqualified the rebel MLAs on Sunday under the anti-defection law till the end of the assembly term in 2023.

Yediyurappa, 76, was sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka on Friday, taking charge of the state for the fourth time in his political career. His last stint was after the May 2018 Assembly polls, when BJP emerged as the single largest party. The government lasted barely three days after being sworn in as it failed to prove majority.

The Congress with 78 MLAs and JD(S) with 37 MLAs then joined hands to form the govt with H D Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister. The 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government collapsed on July 23 after losing the vote of confidence in the assembly in a climax to three-week intense power struggle.

Flashing the victory sign after the voting, Yediyurappa described the outcome as a "victory for democracy" as people were fed up with the Kumaraswamy government.

He assured the people of Karnataka that "an era of development" would start with BJP in power.

The Karnataka political crisis came to the fore when Congress MLAs resigned citing differences with Kumaraswamy. The turmoil reached the climax after dramatic twists and turns that saw the MLAs of rival camps being corralled in resorts and hotels, allegations of bribery, rebel lawmakers knocking the doors of the the Supreme Court asking it to decide on the issues of whip, floor test and governor's intervention.

On July 9, Speaker Ramesh Kumar stated that eight resignations were not in order and thus will not be accepted. The rebel MLAs moved the Supreme Court challenging Kumar's decision on declaring their resignations invalid.

The government had defied two deadlines set by Governor Vajubhai Lala, who had asked Kumaraswamy to prove his majority on Friday itself, saying he had "prima facie satisfaction" that it has lost its majority confidence of the house.

The ruling coalition made frenetic efforts to win back the rebels with chief minister making a desperate appeal to them to save his ministry but they refused to budge, sealing the fate of his government.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Assembly speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Sunday disqualified 14 more rebel MLAs under the anti-defection law till the end of the assembly term in 2023. Exuding confidence, Yediyurappa on Sunday expressed confidence about proving the majority. 

This is the fourth stint for Yediyurappa as the Chief Minister-- the last one was after the May 2018 Assembly polls, when he barely lasted three days after being sworn in.