Congress-JD(S) govt to face floor test on July 18

Bengaluru, July 15

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy will seek a vote of confidence of the state Assembly on July 18, against the backdrop of 16 MLAs of the ruling Congress and JD(S) tendering their resignation.

"I have directed the Chief Minister to hold the floor test in the Assembly on Thursday (July 18)," Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar told reporters after a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the House here on Monday.

The meeting was attended by Kumarswamy, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah and opposition BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa.

The floor test will be held at 11 am on Thursday.

The BJP has been demanding the floor test in the wake of resignation by 16 MLAs of the ruling alliance— 13 of the Congress and 3 of the JD(S)—and withdrawal of support to the Kumaraswamy government by two other legislators.

The resignations have not yet been accepted by the Speaker, who has said he would need time to study whether these were in proper format.

Unhappy with the delay by the Speaker in accepting their resignations, 15 of the rebel MLAs have moved the Supreme Court, apprehending that they could be disqualified.

The top court on July 12 ordered a status quo on the petitions till Tuesday when the matter would be heard again.

The Congress-JD(S), along with lone legislators each of BSP and a regional party and an Independent, had 118 MLAs, including the Speaker, in the 225-member House, when the staked claim to form government last year. If all the 18 legislators, including 16 rebels and 2 Independents do not attend the session, the effective strength of the House for voting will be 205, including 105 of the BJP and excluding the Speaker and the nominated member.

The BJP has issued a notice to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar during the Business Advisory Committee meeting attended by party leader BS Yeddyurappa seeking to move the no-confidence motion, party state general secretary CT Ravi said.

“Yes, we have given a notice to move a no-confidence motion,” he said.

"As the new halfway mark will be 103 for a simple majority, the ruling combine with 100, including one from the supporting party BSP will fall 3 short off it (halfway mark) to win the trust vote and certain to be defeated," according to BJP spokesman G. Madhusudana.

The Supreme Court will take up petitions of 15 rebel MLAs of Congress-JD(S) coalition seeking a direction to assembly speaker KR Ramesh Kumar to accept their resignations on Tuesday.