Karnataka Chief Minister is hanging on to power by a thread and endless speeches

• Karnataka trust voting is delayed by the ruling Congress-JD(S) government and the Speaker.
  
• The governor of the state has sent word to the Speaker directing him to hold the trust vote, today itself.
  
• Congress alleged that BJP had kidnapped its MLA Shreemath Patil from Mumbai resort, who had decided to take back his resignation and vote in Congress’ favour.
  
• Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar has asked home minister MB Patil to contact Shreemath’s family and give a detailed report tomorrow.
  

The political crisis of Karnataka is not ending, not soon anyways. Since morning today, both the ruling party and opposition have been exchanging a war of words at the state’s assembly, which is delaying the trust vote by over six hours.

The governor of the state has sent word to the Speaker directing him to hold the trust vote, today itself.

Congress delayed the vote as it alleged that BJP kidnapped the Congress MLA Shreemath Patil, who had decided to take his resignation back and vote in favour of the ruling party.

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa said that they are willing to wait till midnight till the voting starts.

Speaker’s Dilemma

The Speaker had received a letter in this regard named in Patil’s name, saying he would abstain from coming to the house due to health related issues. However, the Speaker asked the present Home Minister of Karnataka, MB Patil to contact Shreemath Pati’s family and give a detailed report by tomorrow.

“What kind of a Speaker would I be if I proceed with a document which has no date or letterhead,” said K R Ramesh Kumar.

The house was adjourned for half an hour till 4:30 pm, after ruckus raged at the Vidhan Soudha in Bengaluru.

Previously in the day, a delegation of senior BJP leaders Jagadish Shettar, Arvind Limbavalli and Baravraj Bommai met the Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Vala and submitted a complaint on the proceedings of the house and requested him to intervene and ask the Speaker to conduct the confidence motion today itself.

The Karnataka state government went into a crisis mode after 16 of its MLAs from both the parties of the coalition government resigned early this month. For the last two weeks, the political crisis in the state raged on, as Speaker of the Assembly refused to accept them, taking them to court.

One of the rebel MLAs Roshan Baig was also detained at Bengaluru airport and questioned, as he was stopped from taking a chartered flight, yesterday.