Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (DC)
Bengaluru, May 25: Nearly a week after B S Yeddyurappa stepped down as the chief minister failing to prove his majority, now it is Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader and new chief minister HD Kumaraswamy's turn to go for floor test at the Karnataka assembly on Friday May 25.
The Congress-JD(S) combine with 117 seats, is comfortably placed in the 224-member assembly for now. But it is alleged that BJP is still aggressively trying to poach MLAs from rival camps. The BJP has 104 legislators.
The trust vote is expected to take place after the election to the post of Speaker. Since the new alliance has the required numbers, Congress leader Ramesh Kumar is likely to be elected as the Speaker who is facing five-term MLA from Rajajinagar S Suresh Kumar of the BJP.
CM taking oath
The MLAs of the Congress and the JD(S) are confined to their hotels for the past 9 days ever since Karnataka gave a fractured verdict in the assembly polls. The MLAs of the Congress-JD(S) alliance are expected to reach Vidhana Soudha directly from their hotels for the floor test.
Soon after the trust vote, the senior party leaders of Karnataka will be plying to New Delhi to discuss the formation of cabinet with ministry formation Congress president Rahul Gandhi. The JD(S) list is likely to be drawn by party supremo H D Deve Gowda.
Both the JD(S) and Congress have fixed a 12:22 ratio for sharing of ministerial berths as part of the power-sharing arrangement. Several leaders are eyeing key portfolios like home, public works, water resources, revenue, rural development and Bengaluru development which are yet to be decided by both the parties. The first batch of candidates for the ministerial posts from both the parties will be shortlisted by May 28.
In the elections held on May 12, voters gave a hung assembly in 222 constituencies, with 37 for the JD-S, including one from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 78 for the Congress and 104 for the BJP, which fell eight less than the 112-halfway mark for a simple majority and passing the floor test. BJP's B S Yeddyurappa had stepped down on last Saturday 55 hours after taking oath as the new CM failing to prove his majority in the assembly. Though Yeddyurappa along with other leaders had tried to convince several Congress and JD(S) MLAs to cross vote or abstain from attending the Assembly, they failed in their attempt. The Congress had released several audio's alleging poaching attempt by the BJP leaders.