BS Yediyurappa (ANI/Twitter)

BENGALURU: Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday proved his majority in the assembly winning the confidence motion by a voice vote.

With the numbers favouring the BJP government, the Congress and the JD(S) did not press for division on the one-line motion moved by Yediyurappa that the House expresses confidence in his three-day old ministry.

As the opposition did not press for division, speaker K R Ramesh Kumar declared that the motion had been passed by a voice vote.

Karnataka floor test: Catch complete coverage

The BJP was expected to have a smooth sail with the trust vote, as the disqualification of 17 rebel MLAs by the speaker on Sunday had reduced the effective strength of the 225-member assembly to 208.

The magic figure for simple majority was 105, equivalent to the strength of the BJP, which also commanded the support of an Independent.

The Congress has 66 members, JD(S) 34, the speaker one (who has a casting vote in case of a tie) and one expelled BSP member who was thrown out of the party for violating its directive to vote for the H D Kumaraswamy government during the trust vote on July 23.

Speaking in the assembly after moving the confidence motion, Yediyurappa alleged that the administrative machinery in the state had collapsed during the Congress-JD(S) rule and his priority was to bring it back on track.

Yediyurappa said he would not indulge in "politics of vengeance" as he believed in the "forget and forgive principle."

"My becoming the chief minister is according to expectations of the people," said Yediyurappa who succeeded H D Kumaraswamy whose 14-month old government collapsed under the weight of a rebellion by a section of the coalition MLAs.

Yediyurappa said he assumed office in a difficult situation with the state facing drought.

"The administrative machinery has collapsed ... my priority is to bring it back on track," he said.

Yediyurappa also sought cooperation of the Opposition.

Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah said the Yediyurappa government was "unconstitutional and immoral" and expressed doubts about its longevity.

"You have no mandate of the people," Siddaramaiah told Yediyurappa.

"Where is the mandate in your favour ... where is the majority ... Yediyurappa has become the chief minister with just 105 members," Siddaramaiah said.

"Let us see how long you will be (the chief minister). ... I want you to be (CM) for the full term but I don't think you will be able to complete it (the term)," Siddaramaiah told Yediyurappa.

JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy took exception to Yediyurappa's charge that the administrative machinery had collapsed and said it was a "baseless" one that did not behove the chief minister.

"I won't comment on the ways you have come to power. ...," Kumaraswamy said, adding, "you have come to power through conspiracy."

He asked the chief minister to reveal how the administrative machinery had collapsed.

Read this report in Marathi



In Video: BS Yediyurappa wins trust vote in Karnataka assembly