Karnataka LIVE: Yeddyurappa Our CM Pick 'Despite Speculation', Waiting for Top Brass' Nod, Says BJP

HD Kumaraswamy says that JD(S) has held a discussion over the fall of the government and all of the party's MLAs will now work to strengthen the party. 

State BJP President BS Yeddyurappa's supporters gather outside his residence in Bengaluru.

Karnataka: State BJP President BS Yeddyurappa's supporters gather outside his residence in Bengaluru. Congress-JD(S) government lost the trust vote yesterday. pic.twitter.com/YUIkwL1PwV

— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2019

A meeting of Karnataka Congress leaders is underway in Bengaluru.

Karnataka Congress leaders meeting underway in Bengaluru following the defeat of Congress-JD(S) government during the trust vote in Assembly, yesterday. pic.twitter.com/xiZykRDO4s

— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2019

BSP MLA N Mahesh, who was suspended for abstaining from the trust vote, says he was told by the high command to remain unbiased. "That's why I was neutral and didn't come to the motion of confidence."

According to CNN News18 sources, BS Yeddyurappa remains the BJP's candidate for the Chief Minister's post despite all speculation. Around three BJP MLAs are scheduled to visit Delhi in the evening.  

No BJP Legislature Meeting Today | The State Legislature Party will not be meeting today contrary to what had been planned earlier. The leaders are said to be waiting for instructions from the party's top brass over the choise of Chief Minister.

BSY Waiting For Instructions From Delhi | From the RSS office in Bengaluru's Chamrajpet, BJP State President BS Yeddyurappa says, "I came here to take blessings of senior leaders of the Sangh Parivar." He further says that he is waiting for instructions from Delhi and that at any point of time they will call for meeting of the Legislature Party following which they will head to Raj Bhavan. 

This is not the first time that a government in Karnataka could not complete a term. Here's a look at all the times that the government fell. 

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has also alleged that it was "brazen horse-trading" and "misuse of power" by the BJP that led to the collapse of the coalition government in Karnataka. "Whatever may have been the strains in the coalition, the brazen horsetrading and misuse of power in Karnataka is there for all to see. From the start when BJP tried to prevent formation of this govt, until now, it has been an open display of political immorality and money power (sic)," tweeted Yechury.  

Whatever may have been the strains in the coalition, the brazen horsetrading and misuse of power in #Karnataka is there for all to see. From the start when BJP tried to prevent formation of this govt, until now, it has been an open display of political immorality and money power.

— Sitaram Yechury (@SitaramYechury) July 23, 2019

The Supreme Court will today "pass appropriate orders and dispose of the petition" that was filed by the rebel MLAs R Shankar and H Nagesh seeking direction to speed up the floor test. The Supreme Court says that the orders will be passed only in the presence of the rebel MLAs' lawyer Mukul Rohatgi and the Congress's lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi. 

Dark Day in History, Says Mayawati | Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief also hit out at the BJP over the fall of the Kumaraswamy government. Condemning the BJP she wrote, "Keeping the constitutional limitations in mind, the way the BJP has used power and wealth to overthrow a government will be recorded as a dark chapter in the history of democracy." Her statement comes a day after the party expelled MLA N Mahesh because he abstained from the trust vote, despite BSP having pledged its support to the Congress-JD(S) coalition. 

कर्नाटक में बीजेपी ने संवैधानिक मर्यादाओं को ताक़ पर रखने के साथ-साथ जिस प्रकार से सत्ता व धनबल का इस्तेमाल करके विपक्ष की सरकार को गिराने का काम किया है वह भी लोकतंत्र के इतिहास में काले अध्याय के रूप में दर्ज रहेगा। इसकी जितनी भी निन्दा की जाए वह कम है।

— Mayawati (@Mayawati) July 24, 2019

Following the Karnataka Legislature Party meeting, the BJP is slated to meet Governor Vajubhai Vala to stake a claim to form the government. The oath-taking ceremony is likely to take place on Friday. 

BS Yeddyurappa is in a meeting with his loyalists. The Legislature Party meeting that had earlier been scheduled for 11 am has now been put off to 12. 

Priyanka Gandhi Hits Out at BJP | Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has also hit out at the BJP over the fall of the 14-month-old government in Karnataka. "One day the BJP will discover that everything cannot be bought, everyone cannot be bullied and every lie is eventually exposed," Gandhi tweeted last night.

One day the BJP will discover that everything cannot be bought, everyone cannot be bullied and every lie is eventually exposed.

1/2

— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 23, 2019

The 15-16 rebel MLAs, whose resignations triggered the overhaul of the Karnataka government, will now have to face their party's wrath. Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah have both said that since the MLAs violated the whip by abstaining from the House, they breached Schedule 10 and will thereby face disqualification.

HD Kumaraswamy in the debate yesterday also said that he was "not particularly worried about the end of this debate" sayinng that he will "happily give up...rather than all this". "I have acted with decency. The last 14 months have been - 'will they stay or will they go' - and I thank my party leaders for staying through it all," he had said.

Recount of Tuesday's Developments | The trust vote had been delayed on two occasions spurring allegations from the BJP that the government was delaying the vote of confidence in hopes of reprieve from the Supreme Court. Then ahead of the debate session on Tuesday, Speaker KR Ramesh made scathing comments after seeing near-empty treasury benches in the assembly. "You will lose credibility, leave alone strength," he had said. 

Jagadish Shettar arrives at BS Yeddyurappa's residence for the BJP legislative meeting in which a decision will be made about who will take up the Chief Minister's mantle next.

Here are visuals of BJP workers in Bengaluru celebrating outside the party's state president BS Yeddyurappa's residence.

Bengaluru: BJP workers distribute sweets outside the residence of BJP Karnataka President, BS Yeddyurappa. HD Kumaraswamy led Congress-JD(S) government lost trust vote in the assembly, yesterday. pic.twitter.com/EEAeNoF7d7

— ANI (@ANI) July 24, 2019

Section 144 Imposed Across Bengaluru | The fight between BJP and Congress workers broke out at Race Course Road in the state capital after claims that two Independent MLAs were staying at an apartment on Race Course Road. Workers of both parties gathered outside and an argument broke out between them. The police immediately reached the spot and tried to pacify the crowds.

Even as the BJP is scheduled to meet Governor Vajubhai Vala to stake a claim to form the next government in Karnataka, Section 144 remains imposed across the city following clashes between Congress and the saffron party's workers. 

The Congress and JD(S) alliance in the state is likely to run into deep waters now after the fall of their government. It is a known fact that the Congress was not comfortable with its alliance, and this worsened after the drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

The CM frontrunner BS Yeddyurappa will visit the national capital today to meet BJP top brass. According to reports, he is likely to meet party chief Amit Shah, working president JP Nadda and other leaders.

BSY to Take the Helm? | Speculations are now rife over who will take up the mantle of Chief Minister with several flashing Yeddyurappa's name as the most likely candidate. Following the trust vote, the BJP leader himself had declared he would lead a BJP government in the state. A decision will be made in the BJP legislative party meeting slated to take place in the morning.

BJP Set to Take Reins | After days of intense drama, the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government in Karnataka, headed by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, finally collapsed as it lost the trust vote of confidence in the Assembly last night. The coalition's fall has now paved BJP's return to power in the southern state.