“100 percent I will prove my majority,” says Yediyurappa on eve of trust vote

Bengaluru | A day ahead of seeking the trust vote in the Karnataka assembly, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday expressed confidence about proving the majority.

He also said that the finance bill prepared by the previous Congress-JD(S) government would be tabled by him in the assembly on Monday, without any changes. “On Monday hundred per cent I will prove the majority,” Yediyurappa told reporters here.

The finance bill (appropriation bill) needs to be passed “urgently”, as otherwise “we will not be ableto draw funds even to pay salaries,” he said. “So tomorrow after moving the confidence motion,we will first take up the finance bill. I have not even changed a comma or full stop in it. I will be tabling the finance billprepared by the (previous) Congress-JD(S) government,” he added.

Yediyurappa, who assumed the office of Chief Minister on Friday had announced that he would seek the trust vote on Monday.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar on Sunday disqualified 14 more Congress-JD(S) rebel MLAs under the anti-defection law, taking the total tally of disqualified legislators to 17, which will not have any direct impact on the Yediyurappa government’s trust vote on Monday.

The effective strength of the 224-member assembly excluding the Speaker, who has a casting vote in case of a tie, is 207. The magic figure required will be 104.

BJP, along with the support of one independent, has 106 members, Congress 66 (including nominated), JD(S) 34 and one BSP member, who has been expelled by the party for not voting for the Kumaraswamy government during the trust vote.

The 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition governmentheaded by H D Kumaraswamy collapsed on Tuesday after losingthe vote of confidence in the assembly in a climax to thethree-week long intense power struggle.