Karnataka: Yeddy quits, Kumaraswamy to take oath as Chief Minister on May 23

The three-day-old BJP government in Karnataka collapsed on Saturday, minutes before the scheduled trust vote, with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa resigning in a tame anticlimax to what promised to be on the edge of seat political thriller.

JD(S) state President H D Kumaraswamy speaks to media after the JD(S) legislative party meeting in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Congress has extended the support to JD(S) to form the new Government in Karnataka. (PTI Photo)

Bengaluru (Karnataka): Minutes before the crucial floor test, BS Yeddyurappa resigned as chief minister of Karnataka. He stepped down as the BJP could not muster the requisite numbers to prove majority in the floor of the House. In his 'emotional' speech, he said BJP was given the mandate as it rose from 40 to 104 seats. "The Congress was rejected by the people. Both Congress and JDS attacked each other fiercely during election campaigns but now want to form government together." "I will continue to serve the people of Karnataka till my last breath," he said before stepping down as chief minister for two days. JDS leader Kumaraswamy will now become the next chief minister. All That Happened On Saturday:

• Swearing-in ceremony of JDS-Congress government in Karnataka will be on May 23 instead of May 21
• On the invitation of the Governor I have met him on the basis of the request we had submitted on May 15 for the formation of Congress-JD(S) coalition government....he has invited us to form the government: Kumaraswamy
• Speaking to reporters after meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala, Kumaraswamy said the Governor has given him 15 days to prove the majority, "but we will do it much before."
• Swearing in of the new government will take place on May 21, says Kumaraswamy

#KarnatakaFloorTest Delhi - Congress workers celebrate after BJP government collapses in Karnataka https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/cnrfhmNw32

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

Did you notice BJP MLAs left the assembly before the national anthem was played? This is what BJP and RSS does again and again. They disrespect the mandate of Karnataka, Goa, Manipur: Rahul Gandhi https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk #KarnatakaFloorTest pic.twitter.com/HEq1Lgzy0g

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• Karnataka shows there is still some morality left in politics but alas not in the BJP. Now the governor should also resign: Former BJP Minister Yashwant Sinha
• This is victory of democracy and rule of law. We are waiting for Governor to invite HD Kumaraswamy to form the government: Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress

Nobody has defected. We are 117, Congress-JDS-Independents as against 104. Governor wanted to give long rope to BJP to break our party but Supreme Court saw no reason why floor test couldn't be held today: Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress #KarnatakaFloorTest https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/xzbY8Qa34B

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• BJP's BS Yeddyurappa reaches Raj Bhavan after resigning as Chief Minister of Karnataka.
• Congress President Rahul Gandhi to brief the media at 4:30 pm
• Vacating the chair is not important, what matters is the mandate given by the people of the state: Gaurav Bhatia, BJP

BREAKING - BS Yeddyurappa gives indication of resigning from CM's post #KarnatakaFloorTest Watch LIVE: https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/kK4ENwliX2

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• I will continue to serve the people till my last breath: BS Yeddyurappa giving an 'emotional speech' inside assembly.

Siddaramaiah government was a failure. Congress and JDS attacked each other during elections but now want to form the government together. Congress has been rejected by the people. We rose from 40 to 104 seats: BS Yeddyurappa #KarnatakaFloorTest https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/wYkooPhlnX

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Pratap Gowda Patil, who were said to be missing, take oath as an MLA in Karnataka's Vidhana Soudha. #FloorTest to be held at 4 pm. pic.twitter.com/JCMmH4XqJk

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2018

#KarnatakaFloorTest BJP and Congress leaders cordially have a chat in the floor of the House. LIVE Coverage: https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/QXaMonrvDC

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

#KarnatakaFloorTest Congress MLA Anand Singh reaches Vidhan Soudha. Watch LIVE: https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/glVu05e4g5

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

#WATCH: Dramatic visuals of the moment when Congress MLA Pratap Gowda Patil who was said to be missing, entered Vidhana Soudha. #KarnatakaFloorTest pic.twitter.com/XINBGZvped

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2018

• Pratap Gowda Patil, one among 2 missing MLAs of Congress reaches Vidhana Soudha. Anand Singh may also reach shortly.

Bengaluru: Congress MLA Pratap Gowda Patil seen leaving from Goldfinch Hotel for Vidhana Soudha #KarnatakaFloorTest pic.twitter.com/Tc9udBOHTo

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2018

Apprehending a possible defeat in the floor of the house, there is gloom in BJP camp. BS Yeddyurappa may resign as CM if numbers not met before #KarnatakaFloorTest : TV 5 pic.twitter.com/OCz78HnrLD

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

One of the 'missing' Congress MLAs Anand Singh seen leaving Bengaluru's Goldfinch hotel #KarnatakaFloorTest pic.twitter.com/qY77RCZfHC

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2018

#KarnatakaFloorTest - Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Pratap Gowda in Goldfinch hotel, claim their life is under threat. Given security by DGP who is present at the hotel. BJP's Somasekhara Reddy is also reportedly with his Congress counterparts. LIVE: https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk pic.twitter.com/2MayZ8ESHv

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• BJP MLA G Somashekhar Reddy is with the two 'missing' Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Pratap Gouda: Sources #KarnatakaFloorTest (ANI)

Massive allegation by Congress - Accuses CM BS Yeddyurappa's son of holding two of its MLAs hostage in Bengaluru's Goldfinch hotel. #KarnatakaFloorTest pic.twitter.com/2H3xHHMgUb

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• BJP will be exposed to the whole world. They know very well that they are 104, still they are trying everything & anything to buy our MLAs. But, our MLAs are intact. Two of our MLAs are still not here, whenever they come they will surely support us: Veerapa Moily, Congress
• Two Congress MLAs can leave Vidhan Soudha after oath taking ceremony: Sources
• Update - Two Congress MLAs Anand Singh & Pratap Gowda not present in Assembly. BJP Sources claim 5 MLAs of Cong are in close touch. 1 each from Bellary & Belgaum. A Cong MLC has claimed Reddy bros. are calling up families of Cong/JDS MLAs & offering up to Rs 15 cr/MLA & a ministerial berth - according to TV 5 News channel.
• Two Congress MLAs Anand Singh & Pratap Gowda not present in Assembly.BJP Sources claim 5 MLAs of Cong are in close touch. 1 each from Bellary & Belgaum. A Cong MLC has claimed Reddy bros. are calling up families of Cong/JDS MLAs & offering up to Rs 15 cr/MLA & a ministerial berth
• The methods the BJP is adopting to prove its majority are known to the world. PM Modi says "na khaunga na khane dunga". He should rather say "Na khareedunga na khareedne dunga": Kapil Sibal, Congress
• The victory was ours as we got the time for the floor test reduced from 15 days to 24 hours: Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress
• We wanted a practical solution, demanding a transparent voting process: Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal
• Reports at 12 pm say 218 MLAs are present in Vidhan Soudha. One MLA of the Congress and  two of the JDS are not present inside. The 'missing' Congress MLA is Anand Singh while the 'missing' JDS legislators are Venkatappa and Venkat Rao. Congress' Pratap Gowda has just arrived.
• BJP's K G Bopaiah will remain to be pro-tem speaker.

Supreme Court says BJP's K G Bopaiah will remain to be pro-tem speaker.#FloorTest #KarnatakaFloorTest

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• ASG Tushar Mehta informed SC Bench that the whole floor test will be live telecast.#FloorTest #KarnatakaFloorTest

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• Justice SA Bobde points out there have been instances where the senior most member of the House wasn't the pro-tem speaker. Senior most means not age but the number of tenures #SupremeCourt #FloorTest

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• J. Bobde agrees with Singhvi: Senior most means not age but number of tenures.
• Justice SA Bobde points out there has been instances where the senior most member of the House wasn't the pro-tem speaker.
• Kapil Sibal starts argument, says senior most senior most should be appointed as it is the practice of the parliament.
• Supreme Court starts hearing of the petition by Congress-JD(S)' challenging the appointment of pro-tem speaker.

SC starts hearing of the petition by Congress-JD(S)' challenging the appointment of K G Bopaiah as pro-tem speaker.

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) May 19, 2018

• A bench comprising of Justices S A Bobde and Ashok Bhusha to hear the matter from 10.30 AM

The Supreme Court on Friday directed a floor test in the Karnataka Assembly today at 4pm, overruling the 15-day window granted by governor Vajubhai Vala that the Opposition feared would facilitate "horse-trading" by the state's minority BJP government. Yeddyurappa's counsel Mukul Rohatgi had handed the court two letters that his client had written to Vala on May 15 and 16 claiming the support of his party's 104 MLAs and "others". On Friday evening, the Congress released an undated audio clip and alleged that it featured the voice of a mining baron who had made a pitch to lure an MLA. "You will be 100 times richer," the voice tells Raichur MLA-elect Basavanagouda Daddal. "The big people, the national president, will sit and talk with you. Let's talk about whatever you want. After that we'll take the next step."