Karnataka Floor-Test: "100 Percent, I Will Prove My Majority,” Says Yediyurappa On Eve Of Trust Vote

Talking about the finance bill, Yediyurappa said that the bill prepared by the previous Congress-JD(S) government would be tabled by him in the assembly on Monday, without any changes.

Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) Karnataka president B. S. Yediyurappa (Photo by MANJUNATH KIRAN / AFP)

New Delhi: On the eve of floor-test in the Karnataka Vidhan Soudha, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa expressed confidence about proving his majority in the assembly. Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Yediyurappa said, “On Monday hundred per cent I will prove the majority.” He also said that the finance bill prepared by the previous Congress-JD(S) government would be tabled by him in the assembly on Monday, without any changes. The finance bill (appropriation bill) needs to be passed "urgently", as otherwise "we will not be able to draw funds even to pay salaries," he said. "So tomorrow after moving the confidence motion, we will first take up the finance bill. I have not even changed a comma or full stop in it. I will be tabling the finance billprepared by the (previous) Congress-JD(S) government," he added. Yediyurappa, who assumed the office of Chief Minister on Friday, had announced that he would seek the trust vote on Monday. A day before the trust vote on the B.S. Yediyurappa government in the Karnataka Assembly, the Speaker disqualified 14 rebel MLAs of the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) for defying their party whips to attend the House on July 23, when former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy put the confidence motion to vote for proving majority, but failed to do. The effective strength of the 224-member assembly excluding the Speaker, who has a casting vote in case of a tie, is 207. The magic figure required will be 104. BJP, along with the support of one independent, has 106 members, Congress 66 (including nominated), JD(S) 34 and one BSP member, who has been expelled by the party for not voting for the Kumaraswamy government during the trust vote.