Karnataka MLA Crisis: Cong-JD(S) Govt Likely To Fall, BJP In Driver's Seat With Numbers For Majority

The current strength of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly is 224. If 15 of the rebel MLA remain absent on the trust vote, the number comes down to 209. In such a scenario, the numbers required by a party to attain the majority mark would be 105.

HD Kumaraswamy

  The Supreme Court on Wednesday as part its order said the 15 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs should not be compelled to take part in the trust vote which is scheduled to be held in Karnataka Assembly tomorrow. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi also ordered the State Assembly Speaker to decide on the resignations of the rebel MLAs within the time frame he deems appropriate. The apex court was hearing the pleas of the MLAs against Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar for sitting on their resignations. The bench had on Tuesday said the position and powers of the Speaker after the enactment of the anti-defection law in 1985 may require a relook. In Karnataka, resignations by the rebel MLAs have triggered a crisis in the Congress-JD(S) coalition government earlier this month. Thirteen Congress and three JD(S) MLAs have resigned since July 6, technically reducing the numbers of the coalition from 117 to 101 compared to the BJP’s 105 in the 224-member House where the halfway mark is 113. The court had heard the rebel MLAs, the Speaker and Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday. Earlier on Friday, the top court had restrained the Speaker from taking any decision till July 16 on the resignation and disqualification of the rebel MLAs. Also, a vote of confidence has been scheduled in Vidhana Soudha on July 18. The current strength of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly is 224. If 15 of the rebel MLA remain absent on the trust vote, the number comes down to 209. In such a scenario, the numbers required by a party to attain the majority mark would be 105. The BJP has 105 MLA in the house and also has the support of one independent MLA and one MLA from KPJP. The total MLA count for the BJP-led front (107)  will be comfortably scale the 105 magical mark, hence they stand a realistic chance of forming the government in the state. Karnataka Legislative Assembly (Party Wise Composition) Total MLAs - 224 Number of Rebel MLAs - 15 Strength of House if 15 MLA remain absent in Trust Vote - 209 Numbers required for claiming majority in House - 105 Current  Scenario MLA Strength for Opposition BJP - 105 Independent - 1 KPJP - 1 Total - 107 MLAs from Congress-JD (S) Coalition Congress  - 66 JD (S) - 34 BSP - 1 Total - 101