Addressing a press conference here, party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy claimed that with 106 votes in its favour in the Assembly, now having an effective strength of 208, the ruling party was “far ahead” of the majority mark of 105 and even if the disqualified MLAs were allowed to vote, it would not affect the government.

“Even if we presume that on October 18, the court allows the independent MLAs to vote, we would still have 106 MLAs and the vote of the Speaker, giving us a majority in a House of 213 members,” Rudy said.

“Two MLAs—one from JD(S) and one from the BJP—abstained from voting (on Wednesday). If that is so, then the factual strength of the Assembly is 206 and the majority mark, 104,” he said.

Rudy also renewed the party’s demand for the removal of Governor H K Bhardwaj. “Victory of the BJP does not exonerate the Governor of his actions. His role is still under the scanner for his unconstitutional acts. In order to have stability in Karnataka, it is important that the Centre recalls or sacks the Governor,” Rudy said.

Party president Nitin Gadkari alleged that the JD-S and the Congress used their money power to destabilise the BJP-government in Karnataka. “This kind of politics is started by Congress party,” Gadkari said.

 The Congress, meanwhile, slammed as “vitiated” and “subverted”, the vote of confidence won by the Yeddyurappa government.

Party spokesperson Manish Tiwari told reporters in New Delhi that the leader of Opposition in Karnataka had requested the Speaker to wait for the High Court decision on disqualification of 16 MLAs before seeking the trust vote.

“However, the intent of the BJP from day one was to convert a minority government into a majority government and by using money and muscle power, BJP has been able to prove its majority in this vitiated vote of confidence,” Tiwari said.

Responding to a volley of queries on the role of Bhardwaj in the entire episode, he said the Constitutional or any other crisis created in Karnataka was the direct result of internal politics of the BJP and the patronage it gave to illegal mining and such other activities during its tenure in power.

Referring to the petition before the Karnataka High Court regarding the disqualification of MLAs, Tiwari said: “Whatever be the result of the vote of confidence, it is subject to the final decision of the court.”