BENGALURU/MYSURU: The first big test for BS Yediyurappa, just sworn in as Chief Minister of Karnataka, will be on Monday when he faces the vote of confidence. For this, he will, primarily, have to bank on the same number of MLAs who helped him bring down the previous coalition government, including the rebel factor hobbling his opponents. The only added advantage could be a mellowed down JDS. The hint of which came from none other than the party’s patriarch H D Deve Gowda.
Despite the fact that the last time the Karnataka assembly met, it was the BJP led by BSY which had defeated a confidence motion that ended H D Kumaraswany’s 14-month-old government, the JDS is considering changing it’s stance to a ‘responsible opposition’. This in turn may bolster BSY’s prospects in the house.
In the first sign of a political ‘realignment’ which may lend much needed stability to the new government, JDS supremo H D Deve
Gowda, who had remained tight-lipped so far, on Saturday declared the regional party will work as a constructive opposition and even extend issue-based support to the government.
This significant softening of the JDS position coming along with the Congress and JDS rebels reiterating that they will continue to abstain from the Assembly proceedings. Little wonder the newly sworn-in CM on Saturday exuded confidence of winning the trust vote in the truncated House.
“I am confident of winning the trust vote,” Yediyurappa announced after visiting a temple in his native Bookanakere village in Mandya district on Saturday. The new CM who also visited famous Cheluvanarayaswamy temple in Melukote before returning to Bengaluru in the evening, said he “prayed for completing the full term in office without bottlenecks.”
With Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar disqualifying three Congress MLAs for violating the party whip, the strength of the Assembly has been reduced to 222, including the nominated member. If the 13 rebel MLAs skip the session, the House strength will further come down to 209. With another two Congress MLAs in hospital and the BSP MLA too abstaining, the BJP is likely to to sail through the confidence motion comfortably.
In Bengaluru, Gowda hinted that his party is willing to allow the new CM to settle down and not to take a confrontationist approach. “Yediyurappa had stated that they will not pursue vindictive politics and will focus on development. I welcome his statement and we too will support government’s good initiatives. We will work as a constructive opposition and give issue-based support,” Gowda told reporters after a meeting with JDS workers at the party office in Bengaluru.