Bengaluru: The Congress-Janata Dal (S) alliance government’s turbulent 14 months in power ended on Tuesday after Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy lost the trustvote in the state Assembly by a margin of six votes, after four full days oftortuous debate and delaying tactics, ending the Congress’ hold over its last bastion in the South, leaving it with a mere four states and one UnionTerritory.
Capping a three-week-long high-voltage intense power struggle triggered by a raft of resignations by rebel lawmakers that pushed the government to the brink of collapse, the confidence motion was defeated with 99 members voting for the motion and 105 against it, with the two Independent MLAs, R. Shankar and H. Nagesh and the lone BSP MLA N. Mahesh abstaining from the voting.
Acting swiftly, BSP supremo Mayawati expelled Mahesh from the party as she had specifically instructed him to support the coalition during the trust vote. The Congress on Tuesday was quick to accuse the BJP of carrying out “oneof the most heinous” horse-trading the country has ever seen and said that it will hold nationwide protests against the “immoral politicaldestabilisation”.
What finally brought about the downfall of the Kumaraswamy government was the rebellion by 15 MLAs of the Congress and JD(S), now camping in Mumbai – allegedly under the BJP’s protection — who did not return to Bengaluru or participate in the trust vote proceedings, sounding the death knell for the coalition.
Soon after he lost the vote, Mr Kumaraswamy who said earlier that he was ready “ to happily sacrifice this position “ and would not “drag the vote,” submitted his resignation to Governor Vajubhai Vala. He was accompanied by Deputy CM Dr G Parameshwar and other senior colleagues paving the way for the installation of a new BJP government headed by BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa, who has indicated he could swear in a cabinet this coming Monday.
