Guv asks Speaker to complete trust vote process today

Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Thursday asked Assembly speaker K Ramesh Kumar to complete the process of vote of confidence moved by chief minister H D Kumaraswamy by the end of the day.

Vala’s message to Kumar came after a BJP delegation called on him and requested to direct the speaker to conduct the vote of confidence Thursday itself, amid fears by the party that the ruling coalition was trying to prolong the debate to buy time to shore up numbers.

In his message, Vala said, “The motion of confidence moved by the chief minister of Karnataka is in consideration before the House today. The chief minister is expected to maintain the confidence of the House at all times during his tenure.

I, therefore, send this message to the House to consider completing the proceedings of the House by the end of the day.”

Vala’s message under Article 175 of the constitution added that completing the proceedings by the end of the way will uphold the highest traditions of democracy and parliamentary practice.

The speaker read out the message and said, ” I have brought it to the notice of the House.”

A BJP delegation met the governor even as the assembly was debating the confidence motion amid fears by the party that “extraneous” issues were being raised by the coalition to prolong the debate.
“We have a fear that somewhere there is an attempt to save this minority government….,” BJP leader and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar told reporters.