Yeddyurappa confident of winning trust vote

Bengaluru: In a press conference after his first Cabinet meeting, newly sworn-in Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa expressed confidence that he would win the trust vote and complete the full term of five years in office. He also appealed to the MLAs from the Congress-JD(S) alliance to vote according to their conscience in the floor test.

He reminded the Congress of the Presidential elections in the 60s when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi fielded her candidate, despite not having a majority. She had also appealed to the electorate to vote with respect to their conscience, which ultimately made her candidate win. He said that he wanted to make a similar appeal to the MLAs of the Congress and the JD(S).

He criticised the Congress-JD(S) alliance as attempting to gain power in an “unholy” manner. “These two parties are trying to come back to power through dubious means even though the people of the State have rejected them by providing a mandate in favour of the BJP,” he said. The CM also added that there were several legislators in the coalition camp, who opined that it was not right for the coalition to stake its claim to form the government since the people’s mandate was with the BJP. He believed that such MLAs would favour the BJP during the trust vote.

He also asserted that he would not require the given 15 days to prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly and was fairly confident that he will win the trust vote. But, he refused to comment on whether the Governor’s decision to invite him to form the government was right or wrong. He said that it was an issue in the court and that he did not wish to discuss that.

After taking oath as the Chief Minister of the State, Yeddyurappa went to the Vidhana Soudha and obliged the formality of holding a Cabinet meeting. He emulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi by bowing in a ‘namaskara’ in front of the steps of the Vidhana Soudha.