Bengaluru: After failing to achieve the magic figure of 111, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa (BSY), in a dramatic move, resigned before the Supreme Court-ordered trust motion on the floor of the Assembly a little after 4 pm yesterday.
Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders who, until yesterday morning, exuded confidence of winning, was outsmarted by the Congress-JD(S) combine that succeeded in keeping its flocks together while a string of sting videos, allegedly of BJP’s attempts to bribe Opposition Legislators, clouded the social networking space over the past two days. The 75-year-old, who took oath as the CM for a third stint on Thursday, delivered an emotionally charged speech, reiterating his commitment to work for the farmer, downtrodden and backward classes, before announcing his resignation, spelling an end to the three-day-old BJP Government in the State.
Yeddyurappa’s resignation has paved the way for a government led by JD(S) Chief H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) with Congress support. The alliance has claimed the support of 117 MLAs in the 224-member House.
Yeddyurappa and his loyalists made all the efforts to win over at least 14 Lingayat Legislators from the Congress and draw some of the JD(S) Legislators who were believed to be unhappy with the party’s post-poll alliance with the Congress but the SC’s order to telecast the Assembly proceedings live left the BJP with little option for ‘Operation Kamala’ on the floor.
Karnataka will be ruled by an unholy alliance: BSY
The emotionally charged Yeddyurappa began his speech by attacking the JD(S)-Congress combine, calling it ‘’unholy and unscrupulous,’’ against the poll mandate. He said that the people of Karnataka will now be “ruled by an unholy alliance.”
Yeddyurappa said: “I’ve been given a mandate of 104 seats, people have given their blessings. We were only 40 in the outgoing Assembly. But the people of the State have rejected Congress; and their support has reduced. Everyone in the State knows this.” Concluding his speech, Yeddyurappa said: ‘’I had hoped that Legislators sitting on the other side would realise the kind of development that would be possible under Modi. They agreed, but in politics it is different. We will win all 28 Constituencies in 2019.’’
Kumaraswamy to take oath as CM on Wednesday
After BSY, in an emphatic speech, conceded defeat ahead of the floor test, all decks have been cleared for H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) who will take oath as the new Chief Minister on Wednesday. Though the swearing-in ceremony was planned for Monday, it was changed due to former PM Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary.
The swearing-in ceremony is likely to take place between 12 noon and 1 pm. The Congress has also extended an invitation to other Opposition parties to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
Yesterday evening, Kumaraswamy met Governor Vajubhai R. Vala to stake claim to form the Government. Kumaraswamy, after meeting the Governor, announced that the JD(S)-Congress will form the new govt.
Talking to media persons, Kumaraswamy said that he will personally call all regional leaders and added that he will be speaking to both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and will be discussing the modalities on forming the new government.
The JD(S) leader has invited West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, BSP Chief Mayawati and others for the swearing-in ceremony.
Taking a jibe at the BJP and BSY, he said that the JD(S)-Congress combine will call for an Assembly Session to prove majority as soon as possible. “We don’t need 15 days,” he said.
This post was published on May 20, 2018 6:44 pm