Karnataka’s Leader of the Opposition BS Yeddyurappa asserted on Saturday that Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will lose the trust vote as his government did not have the majority.
Yeddyurappa’s claim comes even as the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition is frantically reaching out to rebel MLAs who have resigned, convincing them to withdraw their resignation and support the government during the floor test.
“The CM’s announcement that he’d seek a trust vote is a political conspiracy to stop more MLAs from resigning amid the confusion amongst the Congress and the JD(S),” Yeddyurappa, the BJP state president, told reporters. “They (government) don't have a majority. So, the trust vote has no meaning. Let them dare to move the trust motion. We welcome it,” he said.
The Congress-JD(S) coalition will collapse in a few days, Yeddyurappa said. “The atmosphere is in favour of the BJP.”
At present, the halfway mark in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly is 113. A total of 16 MLAs of the ruling coalition have tendered their resignation and two Independents have withdrawn support to the ruling coalition.
If the resignations are accepted, the strength of the Assembly will be down to 208, where the halfway mark will be 105. Kumaraswamy’s tally will be reduced from 119 to 101, including the Speaker. With the support of the independents, the BJP’s tally will be 107.
During the floor test, Kumaraswamy will have to go from 101 to 108 to surpass the BJP.
The saffron party has ferried its MLAs to a resort near Yelahanka in Bengaluru, where Yeddyurappa held talks with them.
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