BENGALURU: The Karnataka Assembly was adjourned till Monday without taking up the voting on the motion of confidence moved by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar adjourned the House after the Congress-JDS coalition government ignored two deadlines set by Governor Vajubhai Vala to prove majority on Friday itself.
Before adjourning, the Speaker made it clear that finality would be put on the motion on Monday and the matter would not be prolonged further under any circumstances.
Earlier, Kumaraswamy missed the second deadline of 6 pm set by the Governor to prove the government’s majority in the Assembly.
“As the debate on the confidence motion moved by the Chief Minister on Thursday did not conclude in the Assembly, Speaker Ramesh Kumar could not conduct the floor test by the 6 pm deadline set by the Governor for the second time,” an official said.
The Governor directed the Chief Minister to prove the majority by 6 pm after the 1:30 pm deadline he set on Thursday night lapsed, as the discussions on the motion did not conclude by then even as the Speaker adjourned the House till 3 pm.
In response to the demand of the ruling Congress and JDS lawmakers to allow them to participate in the discussions, the Speaker said that he would extend the session’s time for a couple of hours, but pleaded with them to end the debate by Friday and conclude the floor test. The opposition BJP insisted on conducting the floor test by Friday night itself.
Kumaraswamy and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Krishna Byre Gowda appealed to the Speaker to extend the debate to Monday, assuring him to complete the floor test.
Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah also sought time till Monday.
“The Chief Minister failed to prove majority in the Assembly by 1:30 pm, the deadline set by the Governor on Thursday,” opposition BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa told the Speaker after the first deadline lapsed.
When the former three-time BJP Chief Minister urged the Speaker to conduct the floor test forthwith, Kumar said that he would do it after the discussions on the confidence motion were completed by the treasury and the opposition members.
“Voice vote on the confidence motion only after discussions on it by the treasury and opposition members. Division of votes will be looked into if anyone demands for it after the voice vote,” said Kumar.
In a letter issued on Thursday night, Vala had directed the Chief Minister to prove majority by 1:30 pm on Friday, a time set in response to BJP’s complaint to him on the dilatory tactics of the ruling allies on the confidence motion Kumaraswamy moved on Thursday.
“I require you to prove your majority on or before 1:30 pm tomorrow (Friday),” said Vala in the letter after his Thursday’s order to complete the floor test by the end of the day also lapsed. — IANS
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