Real action will begin now: HD Kumaraswamy after winning trust vote in Karnataka Assembly

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday said that the Congress-Janata Dal-Secular coalition government led by him will complete its five-year term and also fulfil all the promises made to the state's electorate. ''The real action will start now, whatever promises I have made to the citizens of Karnataka, I am going to fulfil them,'' Kumaraswamy said.

Referring to the BJP's call for a state-wide bandh on May 28, the Chief Minister said, ''I am not worried about this threat.''

The real action will start now, whatever promises I have made to the citizens of Karnataka, I am going to fulfill them. I am not going to care about this threat (BJP to call state-wide bandh on May 28 on the issue of farmers' loans waiver): Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy pic.twitter.com/kPbUDAgRVs — ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2018

The JDS leader said this after comfortably winning the crucial trust vote in the Karnataka Assembly.

Ending days of political uncertainty, the HD Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka won the vote of confidence in the Legislative Assembly amid a walkout by the BJP MLAs on Friday. The motion expressing confidence in the Kumaraswamy government was adopted by voice vote in the presence of JD (S)-Congress coalition MLAs and other lawmakers supporting the government.

117 MLAs voted in favour of the Congress-JDS alliance government. 

"The confidence motion was put to vote and won by a voice vote in favour of Kumaraswamy," Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar told the legislators present in the lower house.

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy wins floor test after 117 MLAs voted in his favour. pic.twitter.com/EpRUYkSMtt — ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2018

The BJP members staged a walkout before the trust vote was taken.

BJP walked out of Karnataka assembly after BJP's BS Yeddyurappa said that we will hold a state-wide bandh on May 28, if CM HD Kumaraswamy doesn’t waive off farmer loans, pic.twitter.com/Wq4U1UegRr — ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2018

The floor test has brought an end to the 10-day political uncertainty in the state that began after the state gave a fractured mandate in the assembly elections. While the Congress has 78 MLAs, Kumaraswamy's JDS has 37 seats, along with two independent candidates. Kumaraswamy had won from two constituencies. After a high drama, the 58-year-old Kumaraswamy was sworn-in as CM at a grand assembly of leaders of the non-BJP parties on Thursday.

The Leader of the Opposition, BS Yeddyurappa, had earlier made a blistering attack on Kumaraswamy, describing the ruling coalition as "unholy".

In his speech ahead of the trust vote, Kumaraswamy said his government would carry all sections together and would take into consideration suggestions made by the Opposition.

Chief Minister Kumaraswamy asserted that the Congress-JD(S) coalition government would complete its five-year tenure. He also said he was conscious that he was not running a majority government.

"I am also pained that the people have not placed their trust on me," he said as he moved the motion seeking a vote of confidence, apparently referring to his party JD(S) not being given a clear mandate by the voters.

He said, "we will be stable for five years. We will work for the people. We are not here to fulfil our personal interests." Kumaraswamy said neither he nor the Deve Gowda family ever hankered after power, and pointed out that they had spent much of their political life in the opposition.

"I am not hankering after power... Nor my (Gowda) family... We have spent much of our political life in the opposition," he added. Kumaraswamy also said there was a "blot" on JD(S) supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda after he joined hands with the BJP to form a coalition government in 2006.

But he was now relieved that the "blot" had been removed (with the formation of a coalition government with the Congress).

He also said the government was committed to a waiver of farm loan as promised during the elections.

Before the much-awaited floor test in Karnataka, Congress MLA KR Ramesh Kumar was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the House. Karnataka Deputy CM G Parameshwara proposed KR Ramesh Kumar's name which was seconded by Congress leader Siddaramahaih. The BJP withdrew the nomination of its candidate S Suresh Kumar giving Ramesh Kumar a walkover. CM Kumaraswamy congratulated Ramesh Kumar and hoped that the next five years pass on peacefully. "We are happy that you have been elected unanimously," he said.  

Yeddyurappa congratulated Ramesh Kumar and said that while they had nominated a member from their party, they decided to withdraw the name and give honour to the chair of the Speaker. "You have an experience as a humble and fair person. The Opposition will cooperate with you in every possible way," Yeddyurappa said.

Ramesh Kumar is a six-time MLA and has been the Speaker of Karnataka Assembly twice during the HD Deve Gowda and JH Patel governments (1994-99). He was the Health and Family Welfare minister in the previous Congress government of Siddaramaiah. He won from Srinivasapur defeating JDS candidate GK Venkatashivareddy by over 10,500 votes in the recent Assembly elections.

(With Agency inputs)