Confident of Winning Floor Test, says Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy
This will be HD Kumaraswamy’s second term as Karnataka chief minister.
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who took oath as the chief minister of Karnataka on Wednesday, said he is confident of winning the floor test to be held on Friday, 25 May, with the 117-seat tally in favour of Congress-JD(S) coalition.
To read this in Hindi, click here.
- This is HD Kumaraswamy’s second term as chief minister of Karnataka
- Congress’ G Parameshwara sworn-in as the deputy chief minister
- Congress and JDS selected Ramesh Kumar as Assembly Speaker candidate
- BJP has fielded Suresh Kumar as a candidate for Assembly Speaker
- While the JD(S) will have 12 ministers, Congress will have 22 ministers in the Cabinet
- A floor test will be held on 25 May in the Vidhana Soudha
CM Kumaraswamy to Move Trust Vote at 12:15 PM
A confident Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday expressed confidence about winning the trust vote on Friday and proving that his JD-S-Congress coalition government has the majority in the new Assembly.
"I am confident of winning the trust vote on the Assembly floor as we have the numbers in our favour," Kumaraswamy told reporters, a day after he took oath in front of the state Secretariat in the city centre.
Congress state unit President G. Parameshwara took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.
Meeting Finance Ministry Officials After Floor Test: Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy
I have called a meeting of finance ministry officials tomorrow after the floor test. I'll take all decisions after the floor test: Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.
Jayanagar Constituency Polls to be held on 11 June: Reports
Polling for Bengaluru’s Jayanagar constituency will be held on 11 June, votes will be counted on 13 June, NDTV reported. The poll in Jayanagar was cancelled because of the death of BJP candidate BN Vijayakumar.
Karnataka Congress Writes to ACB Alleging Criminal Conspiracy by BJP to Win Floor Test
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee's lawyer writes to Police Superintendent (Bengaluru Urban Wing, Anti-Corruption Bureau) seeking registration of complaint against the BJP's BS Yeddyurappa & others alleging criminal conspiracy & corruption to win the floor test in the Karnataka Assembly.
JD(S) Will Support Our Candidate for Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly Polls: Congress
Deputy chief minister Parameshwara said, in a media briefing, that the JD(S) would support Congress’ candidate for the polls for the Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly seat as well.
The Rajarajeshwari polls were deferred after the discovery of a large stash of voter IDs and other devices in the constituency, alleged to have been used for vote fraud.
Some of Us Feel BJP Indulged in EVM Manipulation: Deputy CM Parameshwara
In a press conference, the newly sworn-in deputy chief minister said that some leaders in the party felt that the BJP had indulged in EVM manipulation.
Will Kumaraswamy Break the Curse of the Vidhana Soudha Steps?
The steps leading to the Vidhan Soudha, where many Karnataka chief ministers have taken their oath, are believed to be cursed. None of the chief ministers have completed their term, and hence sources close to the chief minister told The News Minute that they have been worried about the swearing-in on the steps as well as his official residence. Kumaraswamy has decided to stay at the residence of the chief secretary instead of the bungalow allotted to chief ministers.
Congress' KR Ramesh Files Nomination
Congress' KR Ramesh Kumar filed his nomination for Speaker of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and former chief minister Siddaramaiah were also present during the filing of his nomination papers.
The Congress-JD(S) coalition, which claims to enjoy the support of 117 MLAs, has plumped for Congress's Ramesh Kumar, a former Speaker, as its candidate for the post.
The Congress and JD(S) had unanimously chosen Ramesh Kumar as their candidate for the Speaker's post, Siddaramaiah told reporters after the nomination was filed.
He said, "I got to know that the BJP has also filed nomination... I hope they will withdraw. If election happens Ramesh Kumar's victory is certain."
Pointing out that Ramesh Kumar has experience as Speaker (from 1994 to 1999), Siddaramaiah said, he was known as a good presiding officer and had conducted House proceedings in a smooth manner then.
HD Kumaraswamy Meets Nanjavadhoota Swami
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy met Nanjavadhoota Swami of Pattanayakanahalli Mutt in Bengaluru on Wednesday, 23 May.
BJP MLA Files Nominations for Vidhana Soudha Speaker
BJP MLA Suresh Kumar filed his nomination for Vidhana Soudha Speaker. V Sunil Kumar and Ashwath Narayan were also present.
Suresh Kumar, a fifth term MLA from the city, filed his nomination papers before Assembly Secretary S Murthy at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state legislature.
Suresh Kumar told reporters that he has filed his nomination on the directions from BJP's state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa and other leaders.
"Based on the strength of numbers and various other factors, our party leaders have confidence that I will win. With that confidence I have filed my nomination," he said.
Asked about his chances of winning since the BJP has only 104 MLAs on its side, Suresh Kumar said, "I have filed my nomination. There is election tomorrow at 12.15 pm. After the election you will get to know (the outcome)."
Suresh Kumar was accompanied by two BJP MLAs C N Ashwathnarayan and Sunil Kumar while filing the nomination.
In contrast, Ramesh Kumar was accompanied by Karnataka state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, former chief minister Siddaramaiah and a host of Congress MLAs and leaders, while filing the nomination.
An Important Day, Tweets Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took to Twitter to say that it was an important day for the united Opposition, who had turned out in large numbers.
Karnataka Assembly Session on Friday
A session of Karnataka Assembly will be convene on Friday, 25 May, at 12.15 pm.
Rahul, Sonia and Siddaramaiah Address Meet After Oath Ceremony
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, senior leader Sonia Gandhi and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah addressed a party meet after the swearing-in ceremony at the Hilton hotel.
Rahul Gandhi Congratulates HD Kumaraswamy and G Parameshwara
Congress president Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to congratulate HD Kumaraswamy and G Parameshwara on taking oath as Karnataka CM and deputy CM, respectively.
Change is Imminent in 2019: HD Kumaraswamy
Thanking all the leaders who had come to support him as he took oath as the chief minister, HD Kumaraswamy said:
HD Kumaraswamy Speaks on Lingayat and Mahadayi
Speaking on the Lingayat issue, HD Kumaraswamy said:
On the Mahadayi River row, he said:
PM Modi Congratulates HD Kumaraswamy, G Parameshwara
PM Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to HD Kumaraswamy and G Parameshwara on taking oath as Karnataka CM and deputy CM.
HD Kumaraswamy Addresses Media After Taking Oath as CM, Says Will Waive Farmers' Loans
Speaking to the press after taking oath as the chief minister of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy said he will live up to the expectations of the people.
He added that being in a coalition government, he would also take into consideration the points put forth by the Congress.
He also spoke about the emotional speech made by BS Yeddyurappa on the floor of the Assembly.
Speaking on farmers’ welfare, he said:
He further added that the basic intention of the third front was to cut the BJP short, and stop it from coming into power.
Speaking on the modalities of the alliance with Congress, he said:
Chandrababu Naidu Elated About HD Kumaraswamy's Swearing-In
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed happiness over Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Kumaraswamy taking over as the 24th chief minister of Karnataka. Naidu said he wished to see regional political parties grow in Indian politics.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday in Bengaluru, the CM said, “We all are here to express our solidarity with Kumaraswamy. All regional parties… we are expressing our solidarity. In the future, we will work together to protect ourselves and also to promote national interest, that is our agenda”.
When questioned by reporters on whether he will be forming a front against the BJP, he said, “We want to promote more and more regional parties, we want to strengthen regional parties. That is Mamataji’s (Mamata Banerjee) mission… even our motive”.
Kejriwal Pushed to the Corner?
While Congress' Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi gathered the Opposition leaders together for a photo-op on the stage at Kumaraswamy's swearing-in, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, who had also attended the ceremony, was nowhere to be found during the show of strength.
Rajnath Singh Congratulates HD Kumaraswamy, G Parameshwara
Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh took to Twitter to congratulate HD Kumaraswamy and G Parameshwara.
Congress' G Parameshwara Takes Oath as Deputy CM
Congress’ G Parameshwara takes oath as the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, administered by Governor Vajubhai Vala.
HD Kumaraswamy Takes Oath as CM
JD(S)' HD Kumaraswamy takes oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, administered by Governor Vajubhai Vala.
Rahul, Mayawati and Sonia Gandhi Share Stage
HD Kumaraswamy Arrives
Karnataka Chief Minister-designate HD Kumaraswamy arrives at the Vidhana Soudha for the swearing-in ceremony.
Akhilesh, Mayawati and Kamal Arrive
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, and actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan arrive at the venue.
NCP leader Sharad Yadav too is at the venue.
JD(S) Workers Gather for the Swearing-In Ceremony
JD(S) workers have turned out in large numbers to witness their leader HD Kumaraswamy take oath as the Karnataka Chief Minister, even as rains lash the city.
Leaders Meet Ahead of Swearing-In
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury met ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy.
All Is Well, Says Shivakumar
Congress leader DK Shivakumar refuted reports of differences within the party over the distribution of portfolios and said that he was never an aspirant of the Chief Minister’s post.
“No one is unhappy, we all are together. We are celebrating that our government is coming in power. I never said that I'm an aspirant of Karnataka Chief Minister post. All is well,” said Shivakumar
Opposition's Show of Strength for the Swearing-in Ceremony
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP president Sharad Pawar and Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav arrived in Bengaluru to take part in the oath-taking ceremony of JD(S)' HD Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
Chandrababu Naidu, Mamata arrive for Swearing-in
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee arrived for HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru. Naidu said they had come to express solidarity with Kumaraswamy.
“We've come here to witness swearing in ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy and express our solidarity with him. In future, we'll work together to protect and promote national interest. We're here to strengthen all regional parties,” said Naidu.
Alliance Won't Last More Than Three Months: Yeddyurappa
BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa, while participating in an ‘Anti-People’s Mandate Day’ protest organised against the Congress-JD(S) alliance in Bengaluru, said that the coalition of the two parties won’t last more than three months.
“Hunger, greed and power is the basis of the JD(S)-Congress alliance, such alliance will not even last three months,” said Yeddyurappa.
All the Promises Made in the Manifesto Will be Implemented: HD Kumaraswamy
Speaking to the media ahead of the swearing-in ceremony, HD Kumaraswamy said, “All the promises made in the manifesto will be implemented. Safeguarding the interest of the farming community is our top priority.”
Floor Test Likely on 25 May
According to News18, the floor test in the Karnataka Assembly will be held on Friday, 25 May, as opposed to earlier reports suggesting that the floor test will be held on Thursday.
BJP to Boycott JD(S)-Congress Swearing-In
Unfazed by the fall of its three-day government last week in Karnataka, a defiant BJP will protest across the state on Wednesday, 23 May, against the formation of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government, The News Minute reported.
G Parameshwara to Be Sworn in as Dy CM
Speaking to the media ahead of the swearing-in ceremony at 4.30 pm on Wednesday, 23 May, Congress state president G Parameshwara thanked the party high command for choosing him to be the deputy chief minister of Karnataka.
“It's the high command which decides all these, they chose me. I thank them immensely, but the point is they (Roshan Baig and DK Shivakumar) are also eligible but they gave me this opportunity,” he said.
HD Kumaraswamy to Take Oath at 4.30 pm
JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vajubhai Vala at 4.30 pm in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the government, in Bengaluru.
Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray to Miss Oath Taking Ceremony
Shiv Sena chairperson Uddhav Thackeray has conveyed to former prime minister HD Deve Gowda that he would not be able to attend the swearing-in of his son, HD Kumaraswamy, reported News18.
Thackeray said he was busy in the preparation of the Palghar bypolls in Maharashtra, due to which he would not be able to attend the ceremony in Bengaluru.
Karnataka Government Composition
- Chief Minister : HD Kumaraswamy (JD(S))
- Deputy Chief Minister: G Parameshwara (Congress)
- Congress : 22 Ministers
- JD(S): 12 Ministers
- Speaker: Ramesh Kumar (Congress)
Celebrations Begin in Bengaluru
Ahead of JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday, people celebrated outside his residence in Bengaluru.
Political Leaders Likely to Attend HD Kumaraswamy's Swearing-In
- Congress president Rahul Gandhi
- Congress leader Sonia Gandhi
- West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee
- Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav
- BSP chief Mayawati
- Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu
- Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal
- Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
- CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury
- Former deputy CM of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav
- National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah
- Actor-politician Kamal Haasan
DMK leader MK Stalin, who was also expected to be present in order to show the burgeoning Opposition consolidation against the BJP, has cancelled his Bengaluru visit and would instead head for Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, where nine people were killed in police firing on Tuesday.
Congress Dalit Leader for Deputy CM
A section of Lingayat MLAs from the Congress wanted a person from their community to be the deputy chief minister, as Kumaraswamy belongs to another politically influential caste – the Vokkaligas.
However, Congress president Rahul Gandhi approved the name of Dalit leader G Parameshwara for the post, party leader KC Venugopal said.
DK Shivakumar, another Vokkaliga leader of the Congress, who emerged as a key figure in keeping the party MLAs together before the trust vote, was also a contender for the deputy chief minister's chair, but the party high-command opted to keep Parameshwara for the same.
Kumaraswamy to Become CM for Second Time
HD Kumaraswamy will be the second chief minister to take oath in Karnataka within a week, after BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa stepped down without facing the floor test on 19 May, in the face of an imminent defeat.
This will be Kumaraswamy's second term in office. He had earlier headed the JD(S)-BJP coalition government for 20 months, between February 2006 and October 2007.
Kumaraswamy, the third son of JD(S) supremo and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, will be administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Vajubhai Vala at 4.30 pm in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the government, in Bengaluru.
A huge stage has been set up in front of the majestic stone building for the ceremony where a host of national and regional leaders are expected to be present to send a message across to the BJP over how things will play out in the 2019 general elections.
The JD(S) chief minister-designate said portfolio distribution would be discussed on Thursday, 24 May, and a coordination committee would be formed to facilitate smooth functioning of the coalition.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)