Amid questions about the Karnataka coalition’s survival, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy declared today that he was ready to seek a trust vote to prove his majority on the floor of the house, and asked the Speaker to fix a time. After
that statement, each party, the Congress, Janata Dal Secular and the opposition BJP, arranged to move their lawmakers to resorts to prevent ‘”poaching” attempts.
“I have decided to seek trust vote, please fix time for it,” Mr Kumaraswamy said as the budget session began in the Vidhana Souda or state assembly.
“I am ready for everything, I am not here to stick to power,” added the Chief Minister, who had ruled out his resignation on Thursday.
The Speaker, KR Ramesh Kumar, said a slot for trust vote will be allotted whenever the chief minister opts for it. “Whenever he tells me that he wants to move the trust motion, the very next day I will put it in the business of the day,”
Mr Ramesh said.
The Congress-Janata Dal Secular coalition, which has been struggling with stability since it came to power in May last year, is facing a collapse after 18 resignations over the last week.
If the resignations are accepted, the ruling coalition could slip below the half-way mark and rival BJP will have a majority.
The dissidents have been staying at a five-star hotel in Mumbai.
The Congress has decided to move its lawmakers to Clarks Exotica Conventions Resorts. The BJP has picked three resorts. JDS lawmakers are already staying at two resorts.
The coalition has won a reprieve till Tuesday as the Supreme Court today said there would be no decision on the resignations until then.
The court ruled after hour-long arguments involving lawyers representing the rebel lawmakers, Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar and Chief Minister Kumaraswamy.
The Speaker told the court that he had not decided on the resignation letters of the dissidents, some of whom met him last evening. Many of them faced disqualification, he said.
“In view of the weighty issues that have arisen, we are of the view that the matter be considered by us on Tuesday. We are of the view that the status quo as of today with regard to the prevailing situation be maintained. Neither the
issue of resignation nor that of disqualification be decided till Tuesday,” said the court.
Ten lawmakers met the Speaker last evening with blank papers and submitted their resignations again; they told the court that Ramesh Kumar had questioned their move to go to the Supreme Court and had said “go to hell” to them
in front of the media. The Speaker denied the charge, saying his meeting with the lawmakers was video-graphed.
