Karnataka Assembly Speaker admits Congress' notice of no-confidence against BJP government

Bengaluru: The opposition Congress in Karnataka moved a no-confidence motion against chief minister BS Yediyurappa government on Thursday, just when the ruling BJP was hurrying up to end the assembly session in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Opposition leader Siddaramaiah’s notice seeking to move a motion of no confidence has caught the ruling BJP by surprise because the party’s strength is well above the half-way mark in the 224-member House.

When more than 20 Congress MLAs stood up in support of the motion and demanded that discussions on the notice be taken up first, Speaker Vishveshwar Hegde Kageri said he will allow discussions on Friday.


The state government has cut short the session, limiting it to pass only important bills, in view of the rising Covid-19 cases among MLAs and the government and legislature staff. On Thursday, Congress lost its MLA B Narayana Rao (Basavakalyan) to the virus.

Congress’ surprise move has set off all kinds of speculation, including an “internal understanding between Congress and BJP leaders to bail out the CM”. If Yediyurappa survives this motion, it will probably send a strong message to the BJP high command that he still enjoys popular support among the party MLAs.

Yediyurappa is the only senior BJP leader who continues to enjoy political power even after crossing the age of 75 and it’s no secret that BJP has been weighing on names that can succeed him.

The other theory doing the rounds is that Congress is trying to assert itself and turn the heat on the BJP regime.