New Delhi: Proceedings for the second confidence motion moved in the Karnataka assembly in the past week were completed within a matter of hours on Monday with new chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa proving the majority of the three-day old Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state assembly with a swift trust vote.
Shortly afterwards, assembly speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar tendered his resignation. On Sunday, he had disqualified the 17 rebel MLAs who had resigned or withdrawn support from the coalition, setting off the chain of events that led to Yediyurappa taking oath.
Short speeches by Yediyurappa, unseated former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Congress legislative party leader Siddaramaiah led the way to a voice vote which BJP won, paving the way for a degree of certainty that has eluded Karnataka politics for the better part of the year.
Facing an assembly with a truncated strength, Yediyurappa moved a one-line motion that said the house expresses confidence in the government headed by him. At the end of the alleged campaign to topple the coalition Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government, the man assumed largely to have been behind the “operation,” struck a conciliatory tone. Yediyurappa even lauded Kumaraswamy, whose government was defeated in a trust vote on Thursday. He also put in a word of good faith for former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
K’taka CM BS Yediyurappa moves confidence motion. Says “When Siddaramaiah&HD Kumaraswamy were CMs they didn’t indulge in vindictive politics. Admn has failed&we’ll set it right. I assurance the House that we won’t indulge in vindictive politics either.I believe in forget&forgive” pic.twitter.com/3hcLX2fsXS
— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2019
The fierceness of daily drama having largely ebbed from the political landscape, Yediyurappa said he would not indulge in “politics of vengeance” and that he believed in the “forget and forgive principle.”
He also said he believed in thanking his detractors, and intriguingly, followed up this line with a mention of the BJP brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party heads Amit Shah and J.P. Nadda.
Also read: Speaker Disqualifies 14 More Rebel MLAs Day Before BJP Seeks Trust Vote
Yediyurappa also said the administrative machinery had collapsed and vouched for the fact that his priority was to bring it back on track. Striking quite the different chord than his speeches throughout this whole year, he said he wished to addressed farmers’ issues in this time of drought.
”I’ve decided to give two instalments of Rs 2,000 to beneficiaries under PM Kisan scheme, from the state’s side. I appeal to the opposition that we must work together,” he said.
The Congress which held a legislative party meeting before assembly on Monday placed no significant hurdle in Yediyurappa’s path in the assembly. Siddaramaiah, however, heavily questioned the circumstances that led to Yediyurappa becoming chief minister, while at once wishing him “well.” He also reflected on the future of a government that has ridden to power on the shoulder of rebel MLAs.
Shri @BSYBJP has never become @CMofKarnataka through People’s Mandate.
Everytime, his expertise in Horse Trading and Resort Politics have made him Chief Minister.
Operation Kamala may have won him the Trust Vote today, but he doesn’t have the Trust of the people of Karnataka.
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) July 29, 2019
H.D. Kumaraswamy, while also keeping his speech short, noted that he did not need to answer questions of the BJP, when it came to work done.
HD Kumaraswamy: Power is not permanent, even for Narendra Modi and JP Nadda. We will not try to bring down your number from 105 to either 100 or lower. You speak of drought, at least now let’s see how you will work. We will cooperate with you for the sake of people. #Karnataka https://t.co/XFDzstjAOX
— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2019
The BJP was expected to have a smooth sail with the trust vote, as the disqualification of 17 rebel MLAs by the speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar on Sunday had reduced the effective strength of the 225-member Assembly to 208.
The magic figure for the simple majority was 105, equivalent to the strength of the BJP, which also commanded the support of an Independent.
The Congress had 66 members, JD(S) had 34 and there was one Bahujan Samaj Party member who was expelled from the party for violating its directive to vote for the H.D. Kumaraswamy government during the trust vote on July 23. The speaker too could have cast a vote in case of a tie.
(With PTI inputs)