Bengaluru: The fast paced political drama that unfolded in Karnataka due to fractured election results, brought a relief to its stakeholders after the newly formed JD(S)-Congress coalition government headed by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy won the trust vote on Friday, amid awaking away of the BJP MLAs from the House.
In the 222-member House 111 is needed for a simple majority, the JD(S)-Congress combine has 118 MLAs— the JD(S) 37, the Congress 78 and three others.
The BJP has 104 MLAs. Earlier, Congress nominee K R Ramesh Kumar was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Karnataka assembly after senior BJP leader Suresh Kumar withdrew his nomination for the post.
But minutes before the trust vote in the House, all BJP MLAs walked out on the issue of farmers’ loan waivers. They have also called for state-wide bandh on May 28.
“We walked out on the issue on farmers’ loan waivers. We will hold state-wide bandh May 28. We will be aggressive now,” said, R Ashoka of the BJP, outside the Karnataka Assembly after party MLAs walked out of the assembly. In a fiery speech ahead of walk out BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa said the Congress had sacrificed its future in Karnataka by allying with the JD(S).
In the meanwhile, what adds twist to the JD(S)-Congress alliance is the ongoing rumour that it will not last long. This has gained ground after Congress leader and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara’s May 24 statement in which he said the party had not taken decision yet to support Kumaraswamy as Chief Minister for the full five year-term.
