K'taka Assembly fails to meet 1.30 pm deadline for trust vote

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Assembly Friday failed to meet the 1.30 pm deadline set by Governor Vajubhai Vala for Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to prove his majority in the House.

Even as the deadline neared, the ruling coalition questioned the Governor’s power to issue such a direction, with Kumaraswamy citing a Supreme Court verdict that a Governor cannot act as ombudsman of Legislature.

Kumaraswamy said he would not criticise the Governor and requested the Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar to decide whether the Governor can set a deadline.

As the treasury bench objected to the Governor’s direction, Congress members shouted slogans, “Go back Governor.”

When the deadline ended, BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa stood up and pressed for division on the vote of confidence moved by the Chief Minister.

The Speaker said there was a process to be followed and the motion would be put to vote, if pressed for, according to rules after discussion.

Amid bedlam, the House was then adjourned till 3 p.m.

Within hours after the confidence motion could not take place with the Speaker adjourning the day’s proceedings in the Assembly, the Governor had Thursday shot off the letter to the Chief Minister setting the deadline.

The Governor had observed that resignation of 15 MLAs of the ruling JDS-Congress and withdrawal of support by two independents “prima facie” indicated Kumaraswamy had lost confidence of the House.