Karnataka Floor Test: HD Kumaraswamy moves trust vote motion on the floor of the House; CM says 'not happy, I am a coalition'
After the high-voltage drama, finally JDS-Congress' Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy moved the motion of confidence on the floor of the House on Friday. In his maiden speech as the newly elected chief minister, HD Kumaraswamy said, "As leader of the House, I have the opportunity today. We are happy that you (KR Ramesh Kumar) were unanimously elected as speaker of the House. When Siddaramaiah proposed your name and filed the nomination yesterday, I should have been present too."
Other leaders, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and Congress Legislature Party chief Siddaramaiah, including BJP's BS Yeddyurappa, were also present in the house during floor test.
#Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has moved the moved the motion of confidence in the state assembly. pic.twitter.com/IMRTXwCR7q
— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2018
Moving the motion for a floor test, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said,"Even in 2004, we saw hung Assembly and there were two coalitions back to back. This is not something new that Karnataka is seeing. People of Karnataka has not given a clear mandate. So we have decided to go ahead with the coalition," he added.
"The Opposition feels the mandate is theirs, but I am yet to understand how they believe it to be so. In 2004 also it was a similar situation. I came to the Assembly then and observed the developments and discussions from the last bench. Today, I am being labelled as a controversial politician," CM Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking in the House after moving the motion of confidence, Kumarasamy said, “Neither the Janata Dal-Secular nor any other party got a majority. “I am hurt that people didn't choose me. I became the Chief Minister because of the coalition, not happy about the position,” he added.
Referring to his decision to break the Congress-JD(S) alliance in 2006 and joining hands with the BJP, JD(S) leader and Karnataka chief minister said, "I am guilty of taking political decisions that have pained my father. The circumstances were such that I did not have much choice. My father had to be admitted to the hospital.”
Congratulations to Shri K.R. Ramesh Kumar for being unanimously elected as the new Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly. pic.twitter.com/tlmiE63fvu
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) May 25, 2018
Newly-elected Speaker KR Ramesh Yeddyurappa announced BJP legislature party leader BS Yeddyurappa was recognised as the Leader of the Opposition in Karnataka Assembly. Govind Karjol would be the deputy opposition leader, Kumar said.
Newly elected Karnataka CM, who has to go through trust vote to form its government congratulated Ramesh Kumar for being elected Speaker unanimously. Kumaraswamy says, he is very familiar with the procedure of the House. The CM also thanked MLAs of all parties for making it a unanimous election.
First published: 25 May 2018, 15:17 IST