Battle of Kumars in Karnataka Assembly to be de facto trust vote for CM
BENGALURU: In a curious coincidence, all the three people facing a vote in Karnataka’s legislative assembly on Friday have Kumar in their names.
The assembly will see election for the post of Speaker first, conducted by pro-tem Speaker KG Bopaiah. This will be followed by a trust vote to be taken by chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, necessitated because the state has thrown up a hung assembly in the recently concluded polls.
If the JDS-Congress combine has nominated senior Congress MLA and former Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar as its candidate, facing him is former law minister and senior BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar. “It has turned out to be a battle of Kumars,” a political insider quipped.
Legislative assembly secretary S Murthy told ET that the legislators will decide on the methodology for the Speaker’s election once the session begins.
“It can be by voice vote, show of hands or by standing up,” he explained. A BJP legislator told ET that the party would “try very hard” to win the Speaker’s election which will turn into a de facto trust vote.
“There have been some developments in the last couple of days. We may defeat Kumaraswamy’s trust vote, leading to President’s rule in the state,” he contended.
Kumaraswamy told ET: “They are still trying to defeat the trust vote. But we will win.”
JDS and Congress have been on the guard against attempts to poach their legislators by BJPsinceMay15 — the day the results were announced.
Legislators from both parties have been lodged in a resort and a hotel and were herded away immediately after the swearing in of Kumaraswamy on Thursday. Congress and JDS released alleged audio recordings of BJP leaders making offers to their legislators to switch sides ahead of a similar trust vote that their leader BS Yeddyurappa took on May 19.
BJP has called these fake. “We are not trying that hard now, but we are keeping the ruling combine on their toes. Let us see what happens,” a senior BJP leader said.
The assembly will see election for the post of Speaker first, conducted by pro-tem Speaker KG Bopaiah. This will be followed by a trust vote to be taken by chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, necessitated because the state has thrown up a hung assembly in the recently concluded polls.
If the JDS-Congress combine has nominated senior Congress MLA and former Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar as its candidate, facing him is former law minister and senior BJP MLA S Suresh Kumar. “It has turned out to be a battle of Kumars,” a political insider quipped.
Legislative assembly secretary S Murthy told ET that the legislators will decide on the methodology for the Speaker’s election once the session begins.
“It can be by voice vote, show of hands or by standing up,” he explained. A BJP legislator told ET that the party would “try very hard” to win the Speaker’s election which will turn into a de facto trust vote.
“There have been some developments in the last couple of days. We may defeat Kumaraswamy’s trust vote, leading to President’s rule in the state,” he contended.
Kumaraswamy told ET: “They are still trying to defeat the trust vote. But we will win.”
JDS and Congress have been on the guard against attempts to poach their legislators by BJPsinceMay15 — the day the results were announced.
Legislators from both parties have been lodged in a resort and a hotel and were herded away immediately after the swearing in of Kumaraswamy on Thursday. Congress and JDS released alleged audio recordings of BJP leaders making offers to their legislators to switch sides ahead of a similar trust vote that their leader BS Yeddyurappa took on May 19.
BJP has called these fake. “We are not trying that hard now, but we are keeping the ruling combine on their toes. Let us see what happens,” a senior BJP leader said.