K'taka trust vote: near empty treasury benches, speaker displeased

Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Tuesday expressed displeasure over near empty treasury benches as the House took up the debate on Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's motion of confidence for the fourth day running.

The treasury benches were occupied only by a couple of legislators when the House, which is expected to complete the trust vote process by Tuesday, met in the morning after a prolonged drama that last almost till midnight on Monday.

"Should this be the fate of the speaker or the assembly," Kumar asked minister Priyank Kharge. "You will lose credibility, leave alone strength," he told him.

The absence of legislators from the coalition gave the BJP enough ammunition.

BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa said the government had exposed itself and asked where the ruling coalition MLAs were.

"In spite of not having the numbers, you are continuing shamelessly. You should be ashamed," he told the treasury benches.

His colleague, senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar, added that Kumaraswamy was said to be in his chamber clearing the files at the last minute instead of being in the House.

"People are disgusted. You are a black mark on the assembly. You have taken the House lightly," he said.

K S Eshwarappa, also of the BJP, said the "MLAs are as good as their chief minister", and added that he suspected "this is nothing but delaying tactics."