Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Monday won the vote of confidence by a voice vote.
Speaking after moving the confidence motion, Yediyurappa declared he intended to take steps to fight drought in the state and sought the opposition's support.
However, his predecessor, H.D. Kumaraswamy, warned that “power was not permanent, even for (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (acting BJP chief) J.P. Nadda”. Kumaraswamy said the JD(S) would not act to bring the numbers of the BJP down and offered to cooperate with the BJP government for the sake of the people. CLP leader Siddaramaiah said Yediyurappa had never won a mandate in “2008 or 2018 or even now”
Yediyurappa was sworn in as chief minister for the fourth time on Friday after the BJP staked claim to form the state government three days after the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Yediyurappa had said he was “100 per cent confident” of his government clearing the vote of confidence.
Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar on Sunday announced that 14 more Congress and JD(S) legislators, who had resigned from the Assembly earlier this month, had been disqualified. These legislators are expected to approach the Supreme Court to appeal their disqualifications.
Experts contended the speaker's move would boost the chances of Yediyurappa clearing the vote of confidence as the disqualification of 17 MLAs in total has brought down the strength of the Assembly to 207 elected members. The BJP already has 105 members and the support of one independent MLA. The Congress-JD(S) alliance has a total 101 MLAs.
The trust vote is expected to be followed by the introduction of the Finance (Appropriation) Bill.
