BENGALURU: The BJP stalled proceedings in the Legislative Council, with opposition members staging a dharna, displaying placards and raising slogans against the coalition government.
They demanded that the government resign, with 16 MLAs resigning from their assembly membership.
As soon as the House assembled, Opposition leader Srinivasa Poojary urged Legislative Council Deputy Chairman Dharme Gowda not to allow ministers to reply during question hour, or make a statement on behalf of the government, as it has been reduced to a minority.
Congress and JDS members, led by Ivan D’Souza, Sharavana and others also displayed placards accusing the BJP of being involved in horse-trading and luring their MLAs with crores of rupees.
They accused the BJP of destroying democratic institutions and condemned it for posing a threat to parliamentary democracy.
Poojary said the government has no moral right to continue in office, and wanted ministers to resign. Though Dharme Gowda tried to pacify the members, he failed to do so, and adjourned the house to Tuesday.
Assembly adjourned to Thursday
Meanwhile, Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar announced that the trust vote would be taken up on Thursday, and adjourned the House.
The Speaker, after a prolonged Business Advisory Committee meeting, decided that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will move the trust vote.
Observing that it would be difficult to conduct business without the Opposition’s participation, he said the BJP also wanted to move a no-confidence motion.
However, as Kumaraswamy has already appealed for a trust vote, he decided to accept his plea.
Meanwhile, ruling party MLAs gathered around Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara on the strategy to be adopted to win the trust vote.
Many were in a hurry to know the developments and fate of the government.