BENGALURU: BS Yeddyurappa resigns as Karnataka chief minister on saturday before facing a crucial trust vote in the assembly.
Yeddyurappa made an emotional speech on the floor of the House before announcing his decision to step down as numbers were stacked against the BJP in the newly elected House.
“I am going to resign as chief minister….I will go to Raj Bhavan and submit my resignation. I will travel across the state non stop. We have received tremendous love and support across the state. For 2019, I promise, we will win 28 out of all 28 Lok Sabha seats. I won’t relent. I will continue to fight. I thank people of Karnataka,” he told the assembly in his speech.
He slammed the Congress-JDS tie-up and said “Those who were swearing on the names of each other’s fathers and calling each other names before polls, have now come together to form this unholy alliance”.
Yeddyurappa said he would now “go to the people”.
The Supreme Court had yesterday ordered a floor test in the Karnataka assembly at 4pm today, drastically slashing the 15-day window given by Governor Vajubhai Valato BJP Chief Minister Yeddyurappa to prove his majority.
Yeddyurappa’s resignation will pave the way for formation of a government led by JD(S) state chief HD Kumaraswamy, who has the backing of the Congress. The newly formed alliance has claimed support of 117 MLAs in the 224-member House with an effective strength of 221.
Reacting to the developments, Congress said “BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ to poach legislators from other parties has failed and democracy has won in Karnataka.”
Prasanta Patnaik