BENGALURU: In May 2018, Congress and JDS came together to keep a 104-seat strong BJP out of power. Thirteen months on, with an imminent floor test staring them in the face, the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition has but a bleak chance of survival. On Monday, the legislative assembly will reconvene, not just to discuss the motion of confidence moved by Kumaraswamy, but in all likelihood, to also complete the process of the trust vote. The BJP has had full attendance on both the days the House was in session last week while the coalition scrambled to get its numbers together.
With 15 MLAs of the coalition refusing to vote in favour of the government, two independents withdrawing support and the lone BSP MLA dilly-dallying on his stance, the attrition is becoming pronounced. The longer the wait for the trust vote, the faster the Congress-JDS combine seems to be losing ground. Breaching two deadlines set by Governor Vajubhai Vala has only added to the troubles for the Kumaraswamy government.
After much wooing, the coalition was able to get just one rebel MLA — Ramalinga Reddy — to attend the session and assure support to the government. The combine today is a far cry from the formidable force it was seen to be when the two parties came together. Given the current numbers, the BJP is far ahead of the coalition, threatening to send it home packing. A saving grace for the partners is that they are now assured of the BSP MLA’s support for the government after party chief Mayawati’s directive.
Two independent MLAs — R Shankar and H Nagesh — are all set to add to the many petitions already pending before the Supreme Court surrounding the political crisis in Karnataka. They want the floor test to be conducted on Monday without any more delay. While the Apex Court’s verdict will remain crucial to the coalition’s existence, all eyes are also on Governor Vala and his possible next course of action.
The weekend has been hectic with all three parties pulling all stops to ensure they get their house in order. As a last-ditch attempt to woo at least 11 MLAs holed up in Mumbai, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy made a public appeal. “I would like to appeal to such MLAs who have gone away from us to please attend the legislature session and narrate how the BJP took them away forcefully. I request them to explain on the floor of the House how the BJP sabotaged the edifice of democracy and destroyed its sanctity,” he declared in a statement. His appeal came even as the Congress was in a huddle, with its legislature party chief Siddaramaiah having deliberations with the remaining MLAs at a private resort in Bengaluru.
Throughout the day, leaders of the JDS called on Siddaramaiah as well as Water Resources minister
D K Shivakumar at their respective residences.