Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala wrote a letter to Chief Minister Kumaraswamy and asked him to prove his government’s strength in the Assembly by Friday afternoon.
BENGALURU: The Karnataka Assembly on Friday failed to meet two deadlines set by Governor Vajubhai Vala for holding the trust vote after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy challenged the directive and the Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar adjourned the House till Monday. The trust vote will now be held on Monday, July 22 with the ruling Congress-JDS coalition leaders claiming that a number of MLAs were still there to participate in the debate on the confidence motion moved by Kumaraswamy on Thursday.
Speaking to media after the debate, Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa said Monday will be the last day of the Kumaraswamy government. During the day-long debate on the confidence motion moved by CM Kumaraswamy, the leaders of ruling and opposition parties locked horns and accused each other of horse-trading and conspiring to destabilise the government in Karnataka.
During the debate, BJP-led opposition alleged that the ruling coalition was wasting the taxpayers' money and trying to prolong the debate in a last-ditch effort to shore up its numbers.
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Karnataka Assembly Session has been adjourned till July 22. The trust vote will be held on Monday, July 22.
Karnataka Assembly Session has been adjourned till July 22. The trust vote will be held on Monday, July 22. pic.twitter.com/219kBE6eCv
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
BS Yeddyurappa urges Speaker to abide by Governor's direction.
BJP Karnataka President, BS Yeddyurappa:We respect you, Speaker sir.Governor's last letter said the vote should finish today. People on our side will sit peacefully till late in the night. Let it take however long it takes & it'll also mean that we can respect Governor's direction pic.twitter.com/4RpB4s9qCC
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
Karnataka Dy CM G Parameshwara explains why Congress party moved the Supreme Court. ''We've approached SC to contend two major issues: Parties have right to issue whips to their legislators & this can't be taken away by any court. When House is in session, Governor can't issue directions or deadlines to when we should have a trust vote: G Parameshwara
Karnataka Dy CM G. Parameshwara: We've approached SC to contend 2 major issues: Parties have right to issue whips to their legislators&this can't be taken away by any court. When House is in session, Governor can't issue directions or deadlines to when we should have a trust vote pic.twitter.com/JNOEdS313g
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
Want to inform SC, people and the House that no MLA has given me letter seeking protection and I don't know if they've written to govt. If they have informed any member that they have stayed away from House for security reasons then they're misleading people: Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh
Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh: Want to inform SC, people & the House. No MLA has given me letter seeking protection & I don't know if they've written to govt. If they have informed any member that they have stayed away from House for security reasons then they're misleading people pic.twitter.com/np75rlnj9x
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
CM Kumaraswamy requests the Speaker to protect him from the letter sent by the Governor. ''I leave the decision on the floor test to you (the Speaker). It won't be directed by Delhi. I request you to protect me from the letter sent by the Governor, says Karnataka CM in the assembly.
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in state Assembly: I leave the decision on the floor test to you (the Speaker). It won't be directed by Delhi. I request you to protect me from the letter sent by the Governor. https://t.co/zUHJxNKpIZ
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
I have respect for the Governor. But the second love letter from the Governor has hurt me. He only came to know about horse-trading 10 days ago, says CM HD Kumaraswamy, (Shows photos of BS Yeddyurappa's PA Santosh, reportedly boarding a plane with independent MLA H Nagesh)
CM HD Kumaraswamy: I have respect for the Governor. But the second love letter from the Governor has hurt me. He only came to know about horse trading 10 days ago?(Shows photos of BS Yeddyurappa's PA Santosh, reportedly boarding a plane with independent MLA H Nagesh) pic.twitter.com/VIcA4TUmeI
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
Haven't yet finished my preliminary submission, says CM in assembly. ''I have spoken about many things. Our opposition leader says we didn't address drought and loan waiver was not done properly. When these incidents began, Yeddyurappa has said that I have failed but he must explain where. Please explain,'' CM says.
Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao has approached Supreme Court. In his petition, Rao has claimed that the SC order (on rebel MLAs) had violated the party's right to issue whip to its MLAs.
Karnataka Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao has approached Supreme Court. Rao in his petition, claimed that the SC order(on rebel MLAs) had violated the party's right to issue whip to its MLAs. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/wV7JY0Wxvt
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
Where were their principles when they backstabbed earlier coalitions? Who paid then for hotel stays, air fare, moving people here and there? Suddenly they are wailing about principles: R Ashok, BJP.
R Ashok,BJP: Where were their principles when they backstabbed earlier coalitions? Who paid then for hotel stays, air fare, moving people here and there? Suddenly they are wailing about principles. #Karnataka https://t.co/BIZsxLIR8y
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
BJP MLA Madhuswamy says "it is Governor's Constitutional right to ask the Chief Minister to prove majority". Countering his claim, Krishna Byre Gowda of the Congress said, "In May 2018, the Governor gave the BJP 15 days to prove majority but we are given 15 hours. If this doesn't smack of conspiracy what does?"
Rebel Congress leader Srimanth Patil, who is in Mumbai hospital, has written a letter to Karnataka Assembly Speaker, saying, "There is no malice in my action". Patil said that he had left for Chennal where he felt chest pain. "When I consulted my relatives in Mumbai, they asked to undergo treatment there," he added.
“In 1999 when Vajpayee sought trust it went on for 10 days. But there is tremendous haste today. We know how the MLAs resigned, please take them and form your government. The BJP has made a hotel to keep the MLAs. They've kept a whole group of bouncers. But those MLAs have to come back. How many days will they stay in Mumbai?” said Kumaraswamy.
“I had got an offer from somebody, and I was approached by Congress leaders. I didn't go to them. If I wanted to hold on to the chair I'd have done so long ago. I have said many times that I'm a child of fortune. This seat isn't important, but the future generations... Did our freedom fighters give us democracy to allow such activities?” said Kumaraswamy.
“I'm still asking God why he made me chief minister at such a time under such circumstances. This is all about fate,” he added.
“In 2009, there were floods in northern Karnataka. At that time we've seen how people in the BJP spoke about Yeddyurappa, how many people went to resorts... What they experienced then I am experiencing now. Back then Yeddyurappa (who was CM) had pleaded with the BJP with folded hands saying he would change himself and to not remove him from the post. I will not plead with anybody for this post,” says HD Kumaraswamy.
The Congress has targeted Governor Vajubhai Vala for directing the Speaker to conduct the floor test by 1.30 pm on Friday. Speaking to news agency ANI, Karnataka Congress MP Nasir Hussain said, "I think the Congress party will go to Supreme Court because Governor cannot interfere in the matter of Speaker, he has no right to do it. Governor is arbitrarily interfering and trying to work as agent of a party."
Karnataka BJP has targeted Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, calling him "power greedy". A tweet by the BJP said, "Constitutional head of the state honorable Governor has issued direct & stringent instruction to @hd_kumaraswamy to prove his majority in Vidhana Soudha by 1.30 pm tomorrow, 19 July 19.Power greedy @hd_kumaraswamy should now abide by constitution & do as instructed."
The Karnataka Director General of Police has decided to send a high level police team to probe about the Congress MLAs, who left Bengaluru and then reached St George Hospital in Mumbai. Led by a DCP level officer, the police team will arrive at the Mumbai hospital on Friday. They will record the statement of Congress MLA Shrimant Patil. The Karnataka Congress has registered a kidnapping case in the issue.
After staging an overnight dharna at the Vidhana Soudha over their demand for floor test, Karnataka BJP legislators on Friday morning went for a morning walk. News agency ANI shared a video of their morning stroll outside the gate of Karnataka Assembly:
#WATCH Bengaluru: K'taka BJP legislators go for a morning walk. They were on an over night 'dharna' at Vidhana Soudha over their demand of floor test. Karnataka Guv Vajubhai Vala has written to the CM,asking him to prove majority of the govt on floor of the House by 1:30 pm today pic.twitter.com/r8yygSyf4X
— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2019
After 13 Congress and three Janata Dal Secular MLAs resigned earlier this month, Kumaraswamy looks to be massively short of the required numbers to keep his government afloat. Let's take a look at the number game in Karnataka.
In all, 16 rebel legislators, including 13 of the ruling Congress and three of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) resigned from the Assembly, triggering a political crisis in Karnataka and leading to trial of strength in the state Assembly. READ FULL STORY
Members of the ruling coalition targeted former chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday, accusing him of horse-trading. Hitting back at the government, Yeddyurappa said that Kumaraswamy was reluctant to go for trust vote as he had "lost confidence of the House and the people".