Yeddyurappa to seek confidence vote on June 6

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa will seek a vote of confidence on the floor of the Legislative Assembly on June 6.

Yeddyurappa drove to Raj Bhavan yesterday and conveyed to Governor Rameshwar Thakur that he would secure the trust vote on the floor of the state assembly on June 6.

Newly inducted Minister S Suresh Kumar, who accompanied the Chief Minister to Raj Bhavan, told reporters that the Governor had agreed to address the joint session of the state legislature on the morning of June 6. “Thereafter, Yeddyurappa will move a motion to seek vote of confidence”, he said.

Suresh Kumar claimed that Yeddyurappa had succeeded in persuading the Governor, who had refused to address the joint session unless Yeddyurappa proved his majority in the assembly, to change his mind.

Thakur is believed to have agreed to address the joint session based on the advise of state advocate general Uday Holla, who pointed out that it was mandatory on the part of the Governor to address the joint session when a new Government assumes office under article 176 of the Constitution.

Yeddyurappa met the Governor after his office issued a notification convening the assembly for two days – on June 4 and 5. Heeding to the Chief Minister’s request to allow him to seek the trust vote on June 6, the Governor extended the session by one more day.

According to schedule, pro-tem speaker K G Bopaiah, who has been appointed by the Governor, will administer the oath to the newly-elected 224 MLAs on June 4. The election for the post of Speaker will be held on June 5.

Meanwhile, BJP sources claimed that former Minister Jagadish Shettar, who had been sulking over the denial of a ministerial berth to him, has agreed to become the Speaker of the Assembly for one year after the party’s national leadership held talks with him.