'Testing Time...All 105 Members Stood Like a Rock': Yedurappa Writes to Amit Shah, Thanks for Support

Karnataka BJP chief and Lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa, who is likely to take up the mantle of Chief Minister for the fourth time after the Congress-Janata Dal Secular government met its end in Tuesday’s floor test, thanked party’s national chief Amit Shah for supporting the state unit in its battle against ‘bad governance of the coalition setup’.

Penning down a letter to the Union Home Minister, Yeddyurappa said, “All our party's 105 members stood like a rock with the party at this juncture. We had a testing time for the last couple of days for various political reasons, but overcame all those critical moments before defeating the confidence motion.”

The BJP is set to return to power in Karnataka after the one-year-old wobbly coalition government that had been teetering for weeks, managed to cobble up only 99 votes in comparison to the 105 votes of the saffron party in the floor test.

"On this occasion, I am very much elated and pleased to disclose you that we have defeated the confidence motion moved by the Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy paving the way for the formation of our party government in Karnataka," Yeddyurappa added in the letter.

Expressing his gratitude at Shah and the party cadre, who extended their support in the fight, the BJP state chief said, “At the outset, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for support extended by your good self, other leaders of the party and Party in general.”

The trust vote came after a tug of war between the coalition and the BJP that even reached the Supreme Court. After the defeat in the trust vote, Kumaraswamy submitted his resignation to Governor Vajubhai Vala, who accepted it with immediate effect but asked him to continue as caretaker chief minister till alternative arrangements are made.

"Now more than we the party members, people of the state are a relieved lot as they were fed up with the bad governance of the coalition setup. I thank you once again on this occasion of celebrations," Yeddyurappa said in the letter.

With Tuesday’s dramatic developments, the Karnataka government has fallen twice since Assembly elections in May last year.

The Congress-JDS government had defied the two deadlines set by the Governor to Kumaraswamy to demonstrate his majority on Friday itself.

A wave of resignations had set off the political turbulence in the state, pushing the 14-month old coalition government to the brink of collapse.

The Congress and HD Kumaraswamy's Janata Dal Secular had tied up last May as the counting of votes in the assembly elections indicated a hung verdict with the BJP emerging as the single largest party. But since beginning, the coalition had been shaky, with lawmakers from the two parties being at loggerheads.

Source: News18