Karnataka Governor sets another deadline at 6 pm for Kumaraswamy to prove majority

• Governor Vajubhai Vala has given fresh deadline till 6 pm for HDK to prove majority.
  
• Karnataka assembly has resumed after it was adjourned till 3 pm.
  
• BJP President says that the trust vote might not be held today.
  
• Karnataka legislative assembly is continuously being adjourned amid BJP’s demand for trust vote.
  
• Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy said that he will move to the Supreme Court against the Governor’s order.
  
  

The governor of Karnataka gave a fresh deadline to the ruling government to prove it majority by 6 pm. The CM H D Kumaraswamy has been exhaustively delaying the process, hanging on to power.

BJP President Siddaramaiah had earlier said that the trust vote probably won’t be held today. The assembly has resumed after it was adjourned till 3 pm, with no progress on the much awaited trust vote.

Kumaraswamy said today that he will move to the Supreme Court against the vote. Governor Vala had earlier directed the Speaker to hold the trust vote by 1:30 pm today.

Also, the Congress state President was seen heading to the Supreme Court, possibly delaying it further.

Kumaraswamy said, “It (trust vote) is crucial and cannot be completed by 1:30 pm. This needs to be discussed.” The opposition, BJP, has been alleging that the ruling party is delaying it, as it does not have the requisite majority. They had also staged an overnight protest by ‘sleeping’ in the Assembly.

Governor is interfering: Cong

JD(S) spokesman Ramesh Babu said that the CM’s counsel will move the Supreme Court today for a stay on the Governor's Thursday’s order asking him to prove majority by the deadline.

“The Governor is interfering in the workings of the Legislative Assembly, which is the domain of the Speaker under the provisions of the Constitution,” Babu said.

Congress-JD(S) alliance is to petition on the basis that CM Kumaraswamy had moved the confidence motion in the house on Thursday and the debate had started and so setting a deadline should be stayed by the court.

In the meanwhile, one of the Congress MLAs Shreemant Patil is admitted in a hospital in Mumbai, after he complained of chest pains. Yesterday, Congress alleged that BJP has kidnapped them.

Delayed Trust

The trust vote which was supposed to happen yesterday, was relentlessly delayed by the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition which might be facing an end of its run. Kumaraswamy will have to prove that his government has majority to carry on, as MLAs have been leaving his fold.

BJP party members had staged an overnight dharna or protest over the delay of trust vote. Accusations, speeches and allegations between both Congress and BJP managed to delay the vote, yesterday.

Finally, the state’s Governor wrote a letter to CM Kumaraswamy regarding the trust vote after senior BJP MLAs met him at the Raj Bhawan.

The case of a kidnapped legislator

Yesterday, the Speaker had refused to conduct the trust vote amid allegations by the Congress against the BJP for kidnapping its MLA Shreemant Patil, who had decided to take his resignation back.

Speaker Ramesh Kumar had asked home minister MB Patil to give a detailed report of Shreemant after talking to his family.

The Speaker said that he 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 disrupted throughout the day on the issue of trust vote and when it was finally adjourned till today, BJP announced a night long strike in the assembly itself till the voting was not done.

“We are demanding voting on the motion but the chief minister is reluctant to take it up as he has confirmed himself that he has lost confidence of the House and the people. Everybody knows Congress-JD(S) coalition has only 98 MLAs, we have 105,” said B S Yeddyurappa, BJP party president.

Crisis mode

The Karnataka state government went into a crisis mode earlier this month, after 16 of its MLAs from both the parties of the coalition government resigned. 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, a few days back.