Karnataka: Hundred percent confident of proving majority, says BS Yeddyurappa after SC orders floor test

Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa on Friday asserted that he was "100 percent" confident that he would prove the majority in the state Assembly.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, whose fate still hangs in the balance, on Friday asserted that he was "100 percent" confident that he would prove the majority in the state Assembly.

"We will abide by the Supreme Court verdict...We have got 100 percent support and cooperation to prove the majority," Yeddyurappa told reporters soon after the apex court ordered a floor test in the state assembly at 4 pm on Saturday.

As per the directions of Supreme Court, we are expected to prove our majority tomorrow. We are sending our file to Karnataka governor to call an assembly session at 11 am tomorrow. We are going to prove majority: BS Yeddyurappa, CM of Karnataka. pic.twitter.com/I03TguRAV7 — ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2018

"Amidst all these political games, we will prove our majority tomorrow. We will obey the Supreme Court order," said Yeddyurappa, who faces an uphill task of rustling up the 112 MLAs required to cross the floor test hurdle.

The BJP has 104 MLAs in the House with an effective strength of 222 and hopes some newly elected lawmakers of the Congress and JD(S) would break ranks with their respective parties and back the Yeddyurappa government.

Yeddyurappa said that he would discuss with the Chief Secretary and call the Assembly session, and other procedures will follow. 

Meanwhile, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was also the BJP's Karnataka poll in-charge, expressed confidence that the BS Yeddyurappa government will survive the floor tests in the state Assembly on Saturday. 

"BJP is ready and confident of winning trust vote in Karnataka. We will prove our majority on the floor of the House," he tweeted.

His tweet came after the Supreme Court ordered that a floor test be held in the Karnataka Assembly at 4 pm tomorrow to ascertain whether newly appointed BJP Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa enjoys a majority in the state.

Attacking BSY, former chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah said, ''Yeddyurappa who has 104 MLAs including himself, in the letter requested for 7 days, he had no other name, yet Governor invited him. It was unconstitutional, Governor even gave him 15 days time.'' 

Mr.Yeddyurappa who has 104 MLAs including himself, in the letter requested for 7 days, he had no other name, yet Governor invited him. It was unconstitutional, Governor even gave him 15 days time: Siddaramaiah #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/m1mTVPnyNJ — ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2018

The top court bench, while ordering a floor test, also barred BSY from taking any policy decisions till then.

Directing the floor test at 4 pm, a bench of Justice AK Sikri, Justice SA Bobde and Justice Ashok Bhushan said the Protem Speaker, the senior-most member of the Assembly, would administer the newly-elected members their oath and then conduct the floor test.

The court also rejected Yeddyurappa's plea, made through senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, asking for a week's time to face the floor test. 

The court also junked Attorney General KK Venugopal`s suggestion that the floor test be conducted through secret ballot.

Bharatiya Janata Party legislative party leader BS Yeddyurappa was on Thursday sworn in as the Chief Minister after the May 12 elections threw up a hung assembly.

The BJP had won 104 seats in the Assembly elections held in 222 segments, falling eight short of the 112 halfway mark. The Congress won 78 seats and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) 37. The Congress later said it would support a JD-S led government. 

The court also restrained the nomination of an Anglo-Indian member as it took on record statement by Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that there was no move to nominate an Anglo-Indian member in the State Assembly.

The election to one seat was countermanded after the death of a candidate.

The court also directed the Karnataka Director General of Police to personally ensure the security of the newly-elected lawmakers.

(With Agency inputs)