Kumaraswamy seeks trust vote

Bengaluru: Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today sought vote of confidence in the Karnataka Assembly for the three-day old Congress-JD(S) coalition government headed by him.

Kumaraswamy moved the one-line motion soon after the unanimous election of Ramesh Kumar as the speaker of the assembly.

With the numbers game in favour of the coalition, the 58-year old, who took oath as chief minister on Wednesday, looks set to win the trial of strength.

The Congress has 78 MLAs, Kumaraswamy’s JD(S) 36, and BSP 1. The alliance has also claimed support of the lone KPJP MLA and an independent.

Kumaraswamy had won two seats.

BJP strongman B S Yeddyurappa had stepped down on May 19, two days after he assumed office as the chief minister, without going through the motions of a floor test.

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