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BJP forms government in Karnataka
Karnataka Chief Minister Shri B.S. Yediyurappa sailed through the floor test in the legislative assembly on 29 July, 2019 in Bengaluru. With the victory of the BJP government, the coalition government of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) came to an end. With only 208 members in the House as speaker disqualified 14 rebel MLAs, all 105 BJP MLAs chose Shri Yediyurappa in a voice vote. The government needed only 105 votes in the House with reduced strength. BJP defeated the coalition government by 105-99 votes in the floor test after a three-week-long intense confusion in the Karnataka assembly.
Earlier, the Bharatiya Janata Party ending the speculation in Karnataka staked the claim for government formation, three days after HD Kumaraswamy’s government failed to prove majority. BJP State president and three-time Chief Minister of Karnataka Shri BS Yediyurappa 76, was sworn in as new Chief Minister of Karnataka on 26 July, 2019, taking charge of the state for the fourth time in his political career. His last stint was after the May 2018 Assembly polls, when BJP emerged as the single largest party. The government lasted for three days after being sworn in as its number was slightly less than the majority.
“Victory for Democracy”
Flashing the victory sign after the voting, Shri Yediyurappa described the outcome as a “victory for democracy” as people were fed up with the Kumaraswamy government.
After winning the floor test Shri Yediyurappa said, “When H.D. Kumaraswamy was chief ministers the administration has failed in Karnataka and we will set it right. I give an assurance in the House that we won’t indulge in vindictive politics either. I believe in forget and forgive”.
Shri Yediyurappa said, “We passed the budget presented by Kumaraswamy without any change, but got a vote on account only for the next three months”.
He assured the people of Karnataka that “an era of development” would start with BJP in power.
The 14-month-old Congress-JD(S) government collapsed in Karnataka as MLAs rebelled against the government. The political crisis came to the fore when several Congress MLAs resigned citing differences with Kumaraswamy.
On 09 July, Speaker Ramesh Kumar stated that eight resignations were not in order and thus will not be accepted. The rebel MLAs moved the Supreme Court challenging Kumar’s decision on declaring their resignations invalid.
The government had defied two deadlines set by Governor Shri Vajubhai Lala, who had asked Kumaraswamy to prove his majority on 26 July, 2019, saying he had “prima facie satisfaction” that it has lost its majority confidence of the house.
The ruling coalition made frenetic efforts to win back the rebels but they refused to budge, sealing the fate of his government.