Newly sworn-in Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa resigned on the floor of the House without facing the floor test.

Mr. Yeddyurappa gave an emotional speech in the House and said he was not moving the motion, but instead would go to the Governor to submit his resignation.

The proceedings of the House were telecast live, as per the Supreme Court order on Friday. Senior BJP MLA K.G. Bopaiah, had been appointed as the Pro Tem Speaker to oversee the proceedings.

BJP, with 104 seats, was seven short of the required number of 111.

The Congress with 78 MLAs, the JD(S) with 36 and three others were also individually not in a position to form the government.

Live updates:

9:30 p.m.

Kumaraswamy to become CM on Wednesday

With the fall of BJP’s three-day-old government in Karnataka, H D Kumaraswamy heading the Congress-JDS coalition is set to become the chief minister for a second time on May 23.

Governor Vajubhai Vala today invited Kumaraswamy, who is the leader of Congress-JD(S) joint legislature party, to form the government.

“On the invitation of the Governor I have met him on the basis of the request we had submitted on May 15 for the formation of Congress-JD(S) coalition government....he has invited us to form the government,” Kumaraswamy, who is also state JD(S) chief, said.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Vala, he said the Governor has directed him to prove the majority on the floor of the House in 15 days but he would do it much before.

Kumaraswamy said the swearing-in ceremony would take place tentatively between 12 and 1.50 pm at Kanteerava stadium.

7.05 p.m.

CPI(M) demands Vala’s resignation

The CPI(M) has demanded Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala’s resignation as his decision “proved to be wrong” with Mr. Yeddyurappa’s resignation.

The Governor’s decision to invite BJP to form the government was “mala fide” and “against his constitutional mandate”, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweets. “If the Governor of Karnataka has any shame left, he should submit his resignation as well. The Union ministers sitting in Bangalore, facilitating and enabling corrupt deals, are equally culpable.”

“The corrupt and criminal designs of the BJP have been defeated,” he says. “The misuse of all democratic institutions and flouting of all constitutional norms, by using black money and corrupt criminals, by (Prime Minister) Modi and (BJP president) Shah to subvert the people’s mandate will not be forgotten. This goes well beyond Karnataka.”

Also read: Democracy saved in Karnataka, says DMK

6.35 p.m.

JD(S)-Congress coalition will not last long, says Ananth Kumar

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar says the coalition government of Congress and the JD(S) would not last long as it was an “unholy nexus.”

“BJP alone can give a stable government,” Mr. Kumar tells reporters soon after Mr. Yeddyurappa’s resignation. The party cadres would not sit idle even for a minute and would take the “Congress’ story of betrayal” to every village of Karnataka, he says.

“The new government born out of unholy nexus of Congress and JD(S) won’t stay for long. Only BJP can give the stable government. The mandate was given to BJP as the people of the state had rejected Congress,” he says.

Mr. Kumar says people of Karnataka rejected the Congress and people of Chamundeshwari constituency rejected Mr. Siddaramaiah whereas JD(S) became a “marginal” party. “It is a shame for the Congress party that despite having 78 seats, they have fallen at the feet of JD(S) just to stop BJP,” he said.

6 p.m.

Yeddyurappa respects democracy, says BJP

“Today Yeddyurappa has taught the world how to respect democracy. He has touched the people,’ says Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in a press conference.

“Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress has defeated BJP. BJP has defeated Congress. We had 40 seats earlier and now we have 104. From 122 seats, Congress came down to 78,” he added.

“The sitting Chief Minister lost. 14 Ministers have lost. Rahul Gandhi’s statement is laughable. Congress has adopted a strategy of ‘spit and run,’” he says.

“Congress and JD(S) are in an alliance now. But during campaigning they insulted the JD(S). It is an opportunistic alliance. It has now been proved that JD(S) is the B team of the Congress,” said the Information and Broadcasting Minister.

5.30 p.m.

Awaiting governor’s invite, says Kumaraswamy

Mr. Kumaraswamy says the Congress-JD(S) combine is not in a hurry and was awaiting an invitation from the Karnataka Governor to form government. “We are not in a hurry. We are waiting for an invitation from the Governor,” he tells the media, soon after the Mr. Yeddyurappa’s resignation.

Asked about the future course of action, Mr. Kumaraswamy says the leaders of the Congress and the JD(S) would sit together and take a decision on it.

5.20 p.m.

Victory of the regional front, says Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the fall of the three-day-old BJP government was a “victory of the regional front” and of democracy.

“Democracy wins. Congratulations Karnataka. Congratulations DeveGowda Ji, Kumaraswamy Ji, Congress and others. Victory of the ‘regional’ front (sic),” she said in a tweet.

Akhilesh Yadav demands Centre's resignation

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav tweeted saying the BJP should resign at the Centre on moral grounds.

"Today is the day of victory for the Opposition instead of money power. Those who claim to buy everybody have got this lesson today that there are still people left in India's politics who do not consider politics as business like them. The central government should resign on moral grounds," he tweeted.

5.10 p.m.

Yeddyurappa resignation victory for rule of law: Siddaramaiah

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed the resignation of Mr. Yeddyurappa without facing the floor test as “a victory of the Constitution of India and rule of law”.

The BJP not only misused constitutional offices like that of the Governor, but also tried every dirty trick in the book to woo our MLAs by even offering them bribe, which has been exposed with evidence, he said. “I am very proud that our MLAs did not fall prey to them and did not let communal forces capture power in the State."

4.50 p.m.

Rahul Gandhi addresses media

Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed the media after BJP leader Yeddyurappa's resignation ahead of the floor test.

Mr. Gandhi did not mince words, saying BJP president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had disrespected the institutions in the country and the people's will.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, along with spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, addresses a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi on May 19, 2018. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

"Did you notice, that after the entire exercise in the Vidhan Sabha in Karnataka, the BJP legislators and the Speaker chose to get up and leave the House before the National Anthem. Did you notice that?"

"In a way, this is what we are fighting today - the idea that you can rubbish every single institution and disrespect everyone in this country, simply because you are in power. This is something BJP and RSS does again and again. Mr. Amit Shah and Mr. Narendra Modi disrespected the institutions in the country, be it the Supreme Court, the Vidhana Soudha or the Parliament. They disrespected the people's mandate in Goa, Meghalaya, Manipur."

LIVE: Press Conference by Congress President Shri @RahulGandhi. https://t.co/Enazt97SsT — Congress Live (@INCIndiaLive) May 19, 2018

"I'm happy they've been shown that the institutions in this country are bigger than them, bigger than their power and money. And I'm very happy that they've been shown that in India, the will of the people is everything."

Mr. Gandhi gives his best wishes to Mr. Kumaraswamy, Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Deve Gowda.

"I hope the BJP and the RSS learn their lessons from this, that you cannot disrespect the will of the people in the country."

"The idea that the PM is fighting corruption in the country is a blatant lie. He is the corruption."

“My message to the Prime Minister is that he is not bigger than India. And I doubt he will understand,” he says.

"Everybody in this country knows that the PM's model of leadership is not democratic but one of dictatorship," says Mr. Gandhi.

4.40 p.m.

’Operation Lotus’ fails, democracy wins in Karnataka: Congress

The BJP’s “Operation Lotus” to poach legislators from other parties has failed and democracy has won in Karnataka, the Congress said soon after Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa announced his decision to resign without facing a trust vote today.

Lotus is the poll symbol of the BJP.

’Operation Lotus’ fails! #BSYeddyurappa remains 2 day CM as the country predicted, breaking his own record of being 7 days CM. Democracy Wins! Constitution Wins!(sic) Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted.

Former Union minister P Chidambaram also said that the democracy in Karnataka was saved for time being .

Poor Mr Yeddyurappa. When the puppeteers fail, the puppet falls and breaks, he said on Twitter without naming the BJP’s central leadership.

- PTI

4.20 p.m.

Would like to thank the judiciary: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Would like to thank and congratulate the judiciary, the Supreme Court, who once again rose to the occasion, says Ghulam Nabi Azad, addressing the media outside Vidhana Soudha.

"Governor had given BJP 15 days to prove their majority, for horse trading. But the SC said, we see no reason why BJP should be given so many days. Honourable Governor knew BJP did not have so many numbers, so he wanted to give them a long rope," says Mr. Azad.

" A lot of our leaders were approached by BJP. BJP tried to lure them with all kinds of inducements, but our leaders rejected them ouright. This is a victory of democracy, the Constitution of India and rule of law. Now we are waiting eagerly that the honourable Governor will invite Mr. Kumaraswamy to form the government," says Mr. Azad.

4 p.m.

Yeddyurappa resigns on the floor of the House

Mr. Yeddyurappa says he will voluntarily support the Congress-JD(S) government. "I travel across the state, we will win all 228 seats in 2019. I thank people for their support in the election. I respect the mandate of the people for the development of the State."

"I will give my life to the people. Some poeple said they would die if people do not give them power. But I am not like that. I will die for my people"

"I will go before the public and seek their support. I am not moving this motion. I will go straight away to Raj Bhavan and submit my resignation."

The House has been adjourned.

Read more

3.50 p.m.

We got the people's mandate, but we did not get it in full: Yeddyurappa

Karnataka CM Yeddyurappa moves the motion and is now addressing the House.

"I've been given a mandate of 104 seats, people have given their blessings. we were only 40 in outgoing assembly. But people of State have rejected Congress and their nos have been reduced. Everybody in the state knows this," he says.

"We got the people's mandate, but we did not get it in full. Congress did not get it, JD(S) did not get it."

"They have made an unscrupulous post-poll alliance. The single largest party is the BJP. Always the invitation is given to the single largest party and the Governor invited us as per procedure."

Mr. Yeddyurappa addresses the situation of the farmers in the State. "It is sad, farmers, agriculture workers are in bad state. Farmers not getting scientific price for his products. 3,500 farmers have committed suicide."

"Even after so many years of independence, we have not been able to complete irrigation projects or provide clean drinking water. People were angry with the system that brought about this situation," he says.

He says he's the champion of farmers and has always been. "I had planned waiver of loans up to 1 lakh in nationalised banks, coop banks, weavers’ loans, irrigation projects should get priority. At least 50,000 crore fund for scientific price for crops. To serve the people, farmer – is my only ambition. I dedicate my life for famrers. I fight for them till my last breath," he says. "I had breakfast with families of Dalits. I received criticism for my action."

"Five years ago, even after getting permission to increase height of the Almatti Dam 519ft -524 ft. But the govt did not take any steps. I had thought of taking up the project and intended to spend 1.5 lakh crore for irrigation projects."

The PM wanted six rivers in Karnataka to be link, which I strongly support. That is my vision. Even when the Congress govt was there, Mr. Modi wanted to do this, but they did not understand," he says. "PM Narendra Modi gave funds for all projects, though there was a Congress govt here. He never discriminated against Karnataka."

"My dream was to be Chief Minister here, with Narendra Modi as my Prime Minister," says Mr. Yeddyurappa.

"Today is an 'agni parikshe', an ordeal by fire. All my life, it has been an ordeal by fire," he says.

3.40 p.m.

Stage set for floor test in the Vidhana Soudha

The visitors' gallery at the Vidhana Soudha is filling up with VIP guests - Mallikarjun Kharge, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot of Congress, and Shobha Karandlaje, Prahlad Joshi of BJP sit next to each other.

Congress General Secretary in charge of organisation Ashok Gehlot told PTI: “Our MLAs are intact and B.S. Yeddyurappa does not have the numbers.”

“He (Yeddyurappa) should have resigned after the SC intervened and directed for the Saturday floor-test ending all scope of horse-trading. At least now he should resign,” he said.

The Congress said BJP leader Mr. Yeddyurappa should have resigned immediately after the Supreme Court ordered an early floor-test, “ending all possibilities of horse-trading".

3.30 p.m.

Missing Congress MLAs reach Vidhana Soudha, join Congress camp

Pratapgouda Patil, the Congress MLA from Maski who went missing and was said to have joined the BJP camp, reached Vidhana Soudha, reports Aditya Bharadwaj. He was said to have been holed up in a private hotel in Bengaluru.

Congress leaders issued the party whip to the MLA. BJP MLA S.R. Viswanath was seen trying to take the MLA away, but he refused and joined the Congress camp.

Anand Singh, the missing Congress MLA also reached Vidhana Soudha, along with his wife and son. He was welcomed by D.K. Shivakumar and taken inside.

ANI reported that the two MLAs took their oaths as MLAs.

3 p.m.

Siddaramaiah hits out at PM Modi

Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday hit out Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him whether her had the moral courage to stop BJP's alleged attempts to bribe Congress MLAs.

PM @narendramodi never tires of lecturing the nation on corruption.



Does he have the moral courage to advice BJP Karnataka & BS Yeddyurappa to stop these attempts to bribe MLAs, and allow the formation of a stable coalition Government in the interest of Karnataka? — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 19, 2018

2 p.m.

Congress releases audio recording of alleged 'wooing'

Congress releases another audio recording of a telephone conversation allegedly between Congress MLA B.C. Patil, a lingayat and allegedly chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa himself.

In the audio clip, where the voice said to be that of Mr. Yeddyurappa is not very clear, the person is heard to be asking B.C. Patil to come to BJP. He is heard asking the MLA not to go to Kochi. When the MLA asks the person said to be Mr. Yeddyurappa what his position would be, the person replies: "You will be a minister that's all".

The MLA is heard saying he has three more MLAs with him and the person at the other end is heard replying "if you trust me bring them also".

The person said to be Mr. Yeddyurappa is heard telling the MLA to call BJP leader B. Sriramulu and tell his decision.

On Friday evening, Congress leaders released a recording of a telephonic conversation, purportedly between former mining baron G. Janardhan Reddy and Basanagouda Daddala, a Congress MLA, where the former is heard trying to woo the latter to the BJP camp.

1.25 p.m.

Kumaraswamy takes oath

Political rivals now-turned-friends former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and former minister DK Shivakumar take oath together. Both are Vokkaliga leaders and elected from Ramanagar district. Kumaraswamy, who has won from Chennapatna and Ramanagar has taken oath as a member from Chennapatna.

Debate or division of votes?

Congress sources say that they are expecting a debate being allowed after the motion of confidence is moved by CM Yeddyurappa, reports Sharath Srivatsa. A senior leader, however, said that they will seek a division of votes instead of discussion on the motion.

1.00 p.m.

Protest against Anand Singh

Congress activists, on Friday, staged a demonstration at Rotary Circle in Hosapete protesting against Vijayanagar Congress MLA Anand Singh who was believed to have joined the BJP camp.

Terming Mr. Singh a ‘traitor,’ they said the Congress would ensure his defeat in the by-election if he resigns from his membership to re-contest on a BJP ticket in Vijayanagara.

12.30 p.m.

Massive security arrangements

As per the directions of the apex court, the police have made massive security arrangements in and around the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature, for the smooth conduct of the floor test, reports PTI.

Public entry to the Vidhana Soudha has been restricted and officials and staff of the Secretariat are being allowed to enter the premises after thorough checks.

120 marshals of legislative assembly and 80 marshals of legislative council have been deployed today.

12 noon

MLAs take oath; two Congress MLAs missing

Assembly session began at 11 am on Saturday morning and the newly-elected MLAs took were sworn into the Karnataka Assembly. Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was sworn in alone on Friday morning by Governor Vajubhai Vala.

Two Congress MLAs - Anand Singh and Pratapgouda Patil - who have been missing for the past few days, are yet to reach the assembly.

MP from Bengaluru Rural D.K. Suresh, speaking to reporters from Vidhan Soudha, said he will be going to get the MLAs. He was accompanied by former Minister H.M. Revanna and MLC Rizwan Arshad.

11.30 a.m.

Three possible scenarios

Here are the numbers:

Total elected members: 221

BJP: 104

Congress: 78

JD(S): 36

BSP: 1

Others: 2

Congress + JD(S): 114

The lone BSP MLA and the two independents are likely to support the Congress + JD(S) combine

There are three possible scenarios that Mr Yeddyurappa could hope for to save his government, writes Nagesh Prabhu.

11.00 a.m.

Bopaiah to continue as Pro Tem Speaker

The Congress-JD(S) combine approached the Supreme Court on Friday evening, challenging Mr. Bopaiah's appointment as Pro Tem Speaker.

The application, filed by advocate Devadatt Kamat and settled by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, said the appointment of Mr. Bopaiah was an attempt by the BJP to “seize and manipulate” the floor test ordered by the Supreme Court.

The court decided that Mr. Bopaiah would continue as Pro Tem Speaker and added that the proceedings would be telecast live in the interest of transparency.

Who is K.G. Bopaiah?

The Governor, on Friday, appointed BJP MLA K.G. Bopaiah as the Pro Tem Speaker.

Mr. Bopaiah was elected to the Assembly in the 2018 elections from the Virajpet constituency.

Mr. Bopaiah is an RSS worker and a four-time MLA from the BJP. He was the Speaker of the Assembly from 2009 to 2013 and had a very controversial term. Even the Supreme Court had made strong observations on the floor test he conducted in October 2010.

Who is the Pro Tem Speaker?

The Pro Tem Speaker is an interim Speaker who performs the duties of the office of the Speaker from the commencement of the sitting of the Assembly till the election of a Speaker.

He or She will be the senior-most MLA, that is, the one with the most number of terms as a member of the House. If there is a tie, the one with the earliest tenure will be chosen.

Friday's Supreme Court order on the floor test

The Congress and JD(S) filed a petition in the country's top court against the decision of the Governor to invite the BJP to form a government.

Justice A.K. Sikri, who led the three-judge Bench, said “ultimately this is a number game and the proof of the pudding is in the floor test”.

The Bench, also comprising Justices S.A. Bobde and Ashok Bhushan, brushed aside protests by Mr. Rohatgi about having the floor test, and ordered the floor test to be held at 4 pm, overseen by a Pro Tem Speaker.

(With inputs by Krishnadas Rajagopal , Nagesh Prabhu and Aditya Bharadwaj)