Karnataka Live: New chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to face floor test, BJP-Congress battle for Speaker

Friday’s floor test comes less than a week after the Supreme Court-ordered trust vote was pre-empted by BS Yeddyurappa resigning as chief minister given that the BJP lacked the required numbers to win the vote.

Karnataka Elections 2018 Updated: May 25, 2018 09:47 IST

(Left to right) West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu with JD(S) leader and Karnataka’s new chief minister HD Kumaraswamy at the swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru. (AFP)

Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy will face a floor test today which he is widely expected to sail through, barring any unforeseeable events, ending the 10-day political uncertainty in the state.

The 58-year-old, who was sworn in on Wednesday, has the support of 118 MLAs from the JD(S)-Congress-BSP coalition in the House.

While the Congress has 78 MLAs, Kumaraswamy’s Janata Dal (Secular) has 37, and Bahujan Samaj Party has 1. The alliance has claims its has the support of the lone KPJP MLA and an independent. Kumaraswamy himself holds two seats having won from two constituencies.

BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in as the chief minister on May 17, resigned two days later just ahead of a floor test as the national party has 114 MLAs.

The 224-member Assembly has an effective strength of 221, as election for Jayanagar seat was countermanded following the death of the BJP candidate, and deferred in RR Nagar over allegations of electoral malpractices.

Friday will also see the race for Speaker play out as both a BJP and Congress candidate have submitted nominations for the post.

Follow live updates here:

9:30am: Chief minister Kumaraswamy is confident of winning the floor test. “I have no tension, I am going to win clearly,” he tells ANI.