Karnataka’s Congress-JDS government on Tuesday failed the trust vote securing only 99 votes as opposed to 105 secured by the BJP.
Soon after the trust vote results were announced, Karnataka BJP President and former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa flashed a victory sign along with his party colelagues inside the assembly.
Congress leader HK Patil was quoted by news agency ANI as saying, “This defeat is because of betrayal of our party legislators. We have come under the influence of various things. I am sure people of Karnataka will not tolerate this type of betrayal to the party.”
The government led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had come under crisis after more than a dozen MLAs belonging to his party and the Congress resigned and left Bengaluru for Mumbai, where they have been staying in a hotel.
Congress party’s troubleshooter DK Shivakumar made desperate attempts to win them over but his efforts were futile.
The rebel MLAs had approached the Supreme Court, which had refused to force the Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly, Ramesh Kumar, to accept their resignations within a deadline. The top court had also restrained the Speaker from disqualifying the rebel MLAs.
Jagadish Shettar, BJP: Their (rebel MLAs) resignations have not yet been accepted by Speaker, after acceptance of resignations they have to decide whether to join BJP or not. In present scenario we have 105 MLAs, it is a majority for BJP, we will form a stable government. pic.twitter.com/b9ezUk7f5s
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2019
Jagadish Shettar of the BJP, according to ANI, said that rebel MLAs’ resignations had not yet been accepted by Kumar adding that only after acceptance of ‘resignations they have to decide whether to join BJP or not.’
“In present scenario, we have 105 MLAs, it is a majority for BJP, we will form a stable government,” he added.
What are your thoughts on today’s development in Karnataka?