HD Kumaraswamy wins trust vote minutes after BJP stages walkout

Bengaluru: The head of the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnata, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, won the trust vote in the Assembly on Friday, thereby ending a 10-day political drama that saw the upstaging of single-largest party BJP and a late resurgence for the Congress.

One hundred and seventeen lawmakers voted in Kumaraswamy's favour in the confidence vote.

BJP lawmakers staged a walkout ahead of H D Kumaraswamy's trust vote demanding farm loan waiver.

Read: Waive off farm loan or face state-wide bandh on May 28: Yeddy dares HDK

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy moved the motion of confidence in the state Assembly and exuded confidence of sailing through, barring any unforeseeable events. 

Things ran according to script before the trust vote and Congress' Ramesh Kumar was unanimously selected the Speaker to oversee the vote of confidence. Senior BJP leader Suresh Kumar had also thrown his hat in for the post but withdrew in the last minute because his party did not have the numbers to see him through.  

BJP's B S Yeddyurappa said, "We withdrew (nomination of BJP candidate) as we wanted the election to be unanimous in order to maintain the dignity of the Speaker's post."

Read: Withdrew from Karnataka Speaker race to maintain dignity of post: BJP

Speaking in the House after moving the motion of confidence, Kumarasamy said, “Neither the Janata Dal Secular nor any other party got majority in the polls.”

“I am hurt that people didn't choose me. I became the Chief Minister because of the coalition, and am not happy about the position,” he added.

The Congress managed to clobber together a coalition with the JD(S) minutes after it became evident on counting day that BJP would fall short of a simple majority. Congress offered unconditional support to its once-bitter rival JD(S) to keep the BJP out. The BJP had got 104 seats, the Congress 78 and JD(S) 37.

B S Yeddyurappa recognised as opposition leader:

BJP legislature B S Yeddyurappa was selected as the leader of the Opposition ahead of the trust vote. 

Newly-elected Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar made the announcement shortly after his election as the presiding officer of the House. 

Govind Karjol would be the deputy Opposition leader, Kumar said.

Kumaraswamy was sworn in chief minister on Wednesday along with Congress' G Parameshwara as his deputy.