Bengaluru, Jul 27: BJP state chief BS Yediyurappa, was sworn-in as chief minister of the state for the fourth time on Friday, July 26. This comes three days after HD Kumaraswamy government of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition failed to win trust vote.
The council of ministers will take oath later as the BJP is said to be still in the process to finalise the names of MLAs who would be part of the Yediyurappa government. Yediyurappa has to prove his government's majority in a week's time.
The Congress and the JDS, earlier, criticised Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to invite Yediyurappa for government formation calling the move anti-democratic. The Congress said the BJP does not have majority in Karnataka Assembly.
Below were the live updates from Bengaluru on political developments:
26-07-2019
6.32 pm -BJP leader B S.Yediyurappa was on Friday sworn-in as the Karnataka Chief Minister in the name of God.
Yediyurappa, who had earlier on Friday staked his claim - three days after the H D Kumaraswamy-led JD-S-Congress government fell - was administered the oath by Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan in a ceremony boycotted by the Opposition.
No other minister was sworn-in with him.
The 75-year-old leader from the politically dominant Lingayat community becomes Chief Minister for the fourth time. The BJP's first Chief Minister in south India, he headed the stae first in November 2007 for a week after the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) withdraw support to his party, from May 2008 to July 2011 and for three days in May 2018.
6.00 pm - B S Yediyurappa arrives at Raj Bhavan.
5.07 pm - B S Yediyurappa addresses BJP supporters at party HQ in Malleshwaram.
CM designate thanked followers for the support and promises to work to help farmers affected by drought in Karnataka.
BSY is slated to formally take oath as CM at Raj Bhavan at 6:00 pm.
4.31 pm - Chief Minister-designate B S Yediyurappa hasdirected Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar to withhold all new projects and transfers that were sanctioned by the previous Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the month of July.
2.51 pm - B S Yeddyurappa is reportedly planning to hold floor test in Vidhana Soudha on July 29. Reports are coming in that rebel Cong-JD(S) MLAs will stay put in Mumbai till Monday night.
2.10 pm - B S Yeddyurappa pays tribute to martyrs on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas at National War Memorial.
1.50 pm - With B S Yeddyurappa slated to take oath as CM at Governor Vajubhai Vala's office, police is increasing security around Raj Bhavan and also taking measures to divert heavy traffic around the premises.
12.43 pm - Raj Bhavan officials have begun setting up the stage for the ceremony. BS Yeddyurappa, earlier in the day received the nod from Governor to take the oath of CM.
12.11 pm - "Karnataka assembly has become an experimental lab for @BJP4Karnataka & BJP backed governor to try unconstitutional ways to form govt. In what article of the constitution is the governor allowed to permit the party to form govt that doesn't have majority?.@BJP4Karnataka has the strength of 105 which is way less than the half way mark. In no way BJP can form the govt if constitution is followed. This only proves that BJP has no belief in the democratic values.@INCKarnataka," tweets Congress leader Siddaramaiah
11.50 am - Sources say that BS Yeddyurappa will expand the cabinet only after trust vote. Meanwhile, Jagadish Shettar and team, which had gone to Delhi to meet Amit Shah to discuss government formation in Karnataka,are said to be coming back to Bengaluru later today.
11.27 am - Taking to Twitter, Karnataka Congress citing Assembly strength objected to BS Yeddyurappa's stake to form the government. "As per current tally, BJP has 105 members and support of one Independent MLA. Congress has 76 and JD(S) has 37. The current strength of Assembly is 221 after three MLAs were disqualified by the Speaker on Thursday. The half-way mark thereby stands at 111," it said.
10.48 am - After meeting Governor, BS Yeddyurappa confirmed to the media that the former has agreed to the request to form the government and will take oath as CM later this evening between 6:00 pm and 6:15 pm. Other cabinet ministers will be decided after meeting with the high command. BSY will also be requesting former CMs HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah to attend the ceremony.
10.15 am - B S Yeddyurappa meets Governor Vajubhai Vala, stakes claim to form government
10.00 am - "I am going to meet the Governor today at 10 am to stake claim to form the government and I will request him to hold oath ceremony today itself," State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa.
25-07-2019
9.12 pm - Congress hails speaker's decision to disqualify three rebel MLAs. "Unsatisfied lawmakers who have gone to the lotus in the mud. BJP under immoral operation lotus. punishment for those who betray democracy."
8.55 pm - Speaker Was Convinced That Resignations Were Not Voluntary | Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said he was convinced that the resignations by the three members were not voluntary and genuine and he had therefore rejected them and proceeded to disqualify them under schedule 10 of the the anti-defection law.
8.40 pm - Regarding the disqualification, the speaker has said that none of the three MLAs can contest elections till the term of this house is complete (May 2023). They cannot contest if there is a by-election on these seats either. However, the decision of the speaker can be challenged.
8.28 pm - Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumthalli disqualified.
8.19 pm - "Ramesh Jarkiholi and Mahesh Kumnatahalli didn't inform me in advance that they were coming to give their resignation. I wasn't in Bengaluru then, when I got back, I was told about the resignations. After that, they went to SC and told the apex court that I was missing," said KR Ramesh Kumar during his press conference.
R Shankar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumthalli
8.03 pm - Speaker Disqualifies Independent MLA R Shankar