Karnataka Political Crisis: Suspense Ends As HD Kumarasway Govt To Face Trust Vote On Thursday

Amid the ongoing turmoil over resignation of rebel MLAs in the state, the Janata Dal Secular (JDS)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka will face trust vote on Thursday.

Kumarasway government would need 105 MLAs to retain the government in Karnataka. (Image: PTI)

Karnataka Political Crisis: Amid the ongoing turmoil over resignation of rebel MLAs in the state, the Janata Dal Secular (JDS)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka will face trust vote on Thursday. According to reports, Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar scheduled the trust vote in the Assembly to be held at 11 am on Thursday. The Speaker announced the decision of trust vote after a meeting of Business Advisory Council of the Karnataka Assembly. The Assembly session has also been adjourned till Thursday after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed to conduct regular proceedings of Assembly without the government proving it's majority in the house. Last week, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumarasway offered to face the trust vote and claimed to prove majority in the house days after as many as 16 rebel MLAs tendered their resignations to the Speaker, threatening to reduce the incumbent coalition government to minority. The strength of the 224-member state assembly would be reduced to 209 if the 16 resignations are accepted. Kumaraswamy government would need 105 MLAs to retain the government but it has only 101 (if resignations of 16 rebel MLAs are accepted) while, BJP on the other hand has 105 lawmakers in the assembly along with support of two more independent MLAs. BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa has been demanding that CM Kumaraswamy resign immediately or face a trust vote at the earliest. Even the rebel MLAs have moved Supreme Court with a plea to direct Speaker to accept their resignations. ALSO READ | 14 Rebel MLAs Write To Mumbai Police Inspector For Protection; BJP Seeks Kumaraswamy's Resignation The Supreme Court agreed to hear a plea of five more rebel Congress MLAs along with the pending petition of 10 legislators seeking a direction to the Karnataka Assembly speaker to accept their resignation. Karnataka coalition has not trembled so far as Assembly Speaker decided not to rush into accepting the resignations of rebel MLAs. The apex court is scheduled to take up the pleas on Tuesday. The disgruntled MLAs, who have turned against the government, are camping in Mumbai. After hearing Speaker's standpoint, the top court barred him to take call on disqualification or resignation of MLAs till Tuesday. BJP pepped up its campaign in Karnataka demanding that Kumaraswamy must step down to make way for BJP’s state chief BS Yeddyurappa to take over. Over the weekend, Congress renewed its efforts to convince the rebel MLAs to withdraw their resignations and has reportedly made some headway too.