Karnataka Trust Vote: BS Yediyurappa Says Believe In Forget And Forgive Ahead Of Trust Vote

The Karnataka trust vote comes a day after 11 rebel lawmakers were disqualified.

Highlights

Trust vote a day after 14 rebel Congress, JDS lawmakers were disqualified
"I will prove my majority 100%," said Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa
Congress-JDS government collapsed last week after losing trust vote

Bengaluru: BS Yediyurappa, who took oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka last Friday, won the trust vote in the state assembly, prove majority of his three-day old government. Mr Yediyurappa said he would not indulge in "politics of vengeance" and that he believed in the "forget and forgive principle". The trust vote comes a day after eleven rebel lawmakers of the Congress and three from HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal (Secular) were disqualified by Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar. The 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government headed by Mr Kumaraswamy collapsed last Tuesday after losing the trust vote in the assembly, in a climax to the three-week long intense power struggle.

Here are the top 10 updates on the Karnataka trust vote:

Ahead of the crucial test in the assembly, Mr Yediyurappa, 76, offered prayers at a temple in Bengaluru. Facing an assembly with a truncated strength, Mr Yediyurappa moved a one-line motion that said the House expresses confidence in the ministry headed by him. He said the administrative machinery had collapsed and his priority was to bring it back on track.
On Sunday, Mr Yediyurappa had said he was confident of proving majority in the house. "On Monday, I will prove my majority 100%," he told reporters in Bengaluru.
The disqualification of the 14 lawmakers brings down the majority mark in the assembly within the reach of the BJP government.
All the lawmakers have been disqualified from the assembly till the end of its term, which calls for by-elections in all 16 constituencies. The disqualifications will not have any direct impact on today's trust vote.
The 14 disqualified lawmakers said they would challenge the Speaker's decision in the Supreme Court today.
Five of rebels, along with an Independent lawmaker, returned to Bengaluru from Mumbai this morning. Independent Nagesh said he would vote for Mr Yediyurappa.
The effective strength of the 224-member assembly excluding the Speaker, who will cast vote in case of a tie, is 207. The magic figure required will be 104.
The first test of strength took place last week after 13 lawmakers of the Congress and three from the JD(S) resigned and two Independent lawmakers who were supporting the government switched sides earlier this month.
The coalition could scrape up only 99 votes against the BJP's 105.
The BJP moved swiftly after the Speaker disqualified three lawmakers on Thursday, staking claim to form government and pushing for a trust vote today. State BJP chief BS Yediyurappa (who also changed his name), took charge of the government as the Chief Minister for the fourth time on Friday.