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Karnataka Live Updates: Governor invites Kumaraswamy to form govt

Live updates as BJP CM BS Yeddyurappa faces a floor test to prove majority in Karnataka assembly at 4 pm today; Karnataka still awaits a govt, 4 days after election results threw up a hung assembly

JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy and Congress leader DK Shivakumar
JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy and Congress leader DK Shivakumar

JD(S)-Congress defer swearing-in of Kumaraswamy to Wednesday as Monday happens to be former PM Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary.

Lack of support from other party leaders led to Yeddyurappa's defeat, says Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh.

Governor invites Kumaraswamy to form government, oath-taking ceremony to take place on Monday.

JD(S) chief HD Kumaraswamy to be sworn in as CM on Monday, reports CNN News 18. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweets that she would be attending Kumaraswamy's oath-taking ceremony.

"Vajubhai Vala has set a new benchmark for loyalty. Every Indian will name their dog after Vajubhai Vala from this episode onwards," remarks Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam.

The Modi government must resign on moral grounds, says Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

BJP's lust for power stands completely exposed, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal blasts the BJP even as he hails the role of judiciary.

"Karnataka is not going to be saffron," tweets Prakash Raj.

Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot lauds the role of Supreme Court in correcting the "wrong done by the Governor at the behest of BJP."

Senior Congress leader calls upon Governor Vajubhai Vala to resign, following similar calls from other opposition leaders.

Clamour for resignation of Karnataka's Governor Vajubhai Vala grows louder, now CPI(M) General Secretary urges him to step down.

NDA ally Shiv Sena has joined the chorus of voices demanding the resignation of Governor Vajubhai Vala, reports CNN News 18. “The governor acted in a suspicious way and should resign from his office,” said party spokesperson Manisha Kayande.

Published: 19 May 2018, 9:36 AM IST

Congress workers in Delhi take to streets to celebrate after Yeddyurappa's resignation in Karnataka assembly.

Scenes of joys among Congress workers were witnessed in Dehradun too.

Published: 19 May 2018, 9:36 AM IST

When will Governor Vajubhai Vala resign, asks a jubilant Hardik Patel.

The country has shown ‘murder-accused Amit Shah’ that Constitution is bigger than money power: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul tells BJP, RSS: "There are limits to your arrogance and how you're trying to run this country

Rahul Gandhi: My message to the PM is that the PM is not bigger than the people of the country. He is not bigger than the Supreme Court and he is not bigger than Parliament

I am proud that opposition stood together & defeated the BJP and we will continue to do so: Rahul Gandhi after BS Yeddyurappa's resignation as Karnataka CM

Rahul Gandhi: Power is not everything. The will of the people is everything

What happened to the Modi-Shah election machinery?

Thank our MLAs for preventing communal BJP from grabbing power: Siddaramaiah

We would like to congratulate the MLAs of Congress, JD(S), independent as well as BSP who resisted all sorts of temptations: Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress

Congress workers celebrate in Dehradun after BS Yeddyurappa steps down

It was a battle for the the future. BJP has been exposed. Now, we will implement the vision we have promised: Priyanaka Chaturvedi, Congress

Nobody has defected. We are 117, Congress-JDS-Independents as against 104. Governor wanted to give long rope to BJP to break our party but Supreme Court saw no reason why floor test couldn't be held today: Ghulam Nabi Azad; reports ABP News

We did our best to form the secular government. It is my duty to serve my party. The governor has to invite us to form the govt now: DK Shivakumar; reports CNN News 18

Some of our legislatures were kidnapped. They were under the illegal custody of the BJP: Ghulam Nabi Azad; reports CNN News 18

We would like to congratulate the MLAs of Congress, JD(S) and the independents including BSP, who resisted to all temptations by BJP: Ghulam Nabi Azad; reports CNN News 18

By advancing the floor test and directing live telecast of Assembly proceedings the Supreme Court has salvaged some of India’s tattered democracy from the BJP President and the Karnataka Governor who wished to finish it altogether: Ramchandra Guha

Truth can never be defeated! Truth will always defeat a lie or liar!: Tejashwi Yadav

Vacating the chair is not important, what matters is the mandate given by the people of the state: Gaurav Bhatia, BJP; reports ABP News

Right now news has come that BS Yeddyurappa has resigned as Karnataka's CM, are all of you happy? All those who believe in democracy are happy: Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu; reports ANI

Truth has won… This is a historic day in our Democracy. It is a victory of democratic ideals n values: Ashok Gehlot

Congress President Rahul Gandhi to brief the media at 4:30 pm; reports ABP News

BJP's BS Yeddyurappa reaches Raj Bhavan after resigning as Chief Minister of Karnataka; reports ANI

That so many MLAs proved impervious to the BJP’s blandishments is an encouraging sign for Indian democracy. And that the party with the highest percentage of votes will now form the government with an alliance: Shashi Tharoor

The unsavoury drama has ended. The Governor in cahoots with the BJP should not have tried to manipulate the outcome. Full marks to the Congress and JDS: Kapil Sibal

'Right is always Might' and 'Might can never be Right', tweets NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik

Democracy wins. Congratulations Karnataka: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

RJD takes a dig at Governor Vajubhai Vala

With the proceedings live and every citizen becoming a pro tem Speaker, democracy in Karnataka was saved, tweets former Finance Minister P Chidambaram

Democracy has won in Karnataka, tweets Siddaramaiah

Watch: ANI's Facebook live of proceedings from inside Karnataka's Vidhana Soudha

BS Yeddyurappa quits as Chief Minister

Failed to gather numbers to form government: BS Yeddyurappa

We will get 28 out of 28 seats in Lok Sabha: CM BS Yeddyurappa; reports ANI

If only people would have given us 113 seats instead of 104, we would have made this state a paradise: CM BS Yeddyurappa; reports ANI

My entire life has been a test, today is one more test: BS Yeddyurappa; reports CNN News 18

I have dedicated my entire life for the betterment of farmers and I’ll continue to do so: BS Yeddyurappa in Vidhana Soudha; reports CNN News 18

I have traveled throughout the state for the last two years and have seen pain on the faces of people. I can't forget the love & affection I received from people: CM BS Yeddyurappa; reports ANI

My only aim to form the govt in Karnataka was to help the poor and farmers and waive off their loans: BS Yeddyurappa; reports CNN News 18

Siddaramaiah interrupts BS Yeddyurappa, asks him to move the motion; reports CNN News 18

PM Modi and Amit Shah made me the CM candidate on Baba Saheb Ambedkar's anniversary: BS Yeddyurappa in Vidhana Soudha; reports CNN News 18

Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Pratap Gowda Patil, who were said to be missing, take oath as an MLA in Karnataka's Vidhana Soudha; reports ANI

Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjun Kharge with BJP leaders Ananth Kumar and Shobha Karandlaje in Karnataka's Vidhana Soudha; reports ANI

WATCH: Live proceeding from inside Karnataka's Vidhana Soudha

I was with my brother in Taj West End. Nobody was in my contact. I don't even know who are they, Anand Singh and Pratap Gowda Patil (Congress MLAs). I did not even go to Goldfinch Hotel: Somashekara Reddy, BJP MLA & brother of Janardan Reddy to ANI

BK Hariprasad, Congress - Pratap Gowda Patil and Anand Singh were under the control of Rajnath Singh, he had kept them in confinement through ED and IT; reports CNN News 18

CM BS Yeddyurappa meets speaker minutes before the floor test; reports News 9

"Does he (PM Modi) have the moral courage to advice BJP Karnataka & BS Yeddyurappa to stop these attempts to bribe MLAs, and allow the formation of a stable coalition Government in the interest of Karnataka," tweets Siddaramaiah

CM BS Yeddyurappa speaks to BJP President Amit Shah over the phone. Call made from Prakash Javdekar's phone. Yeddyurappa likely to meet Governor shortly, reports News 9

DK Shivakumar slips a whip note in Pratap Gowda Patil pocket as he enters Vidhana Soudha

Union Minister Ananth Kumar & CM BS Yeddyurappa in CM's Chamber

Pratap Gowda Patil having lunch with Congress MLAs at Vidhana Soudha

There is gloom in BJP camp, reports TV5

Congress releases another audio tape, accuses BJP of trying to buy MLAs

CM Yeddyurappa will resign before the trust vote: Congress

CM Yeddyurappa to resign before trust vote: CNNNews18 reports quoting sources

Will Yeddyurappa end up becoming a 55-hour Chief Minister?

SC decision showed Governor was at fault: Shiv Sena

The Supreme Court's decision of slashing the 15-day window given to BJP Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to prove majority showed that Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala had favoured the saffron party and he was at fault, the Shiv Sena said today.

It also alleged that since the BJP has "money and muscle power", it may win over some Congress and JD(S) MLAs to prove majority in the southern state. "The Karnataka power play reached the corridors of the Supreme Court, which virtually nullified the governor's decision. Despite the BJP not having the clear majority, governor Vajubhai Vala hurriedly invited it to form the government and gave it 15 days time to prove majority," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"The newly-elected members of the Karnataka Assembly are yet to take oath. But ever before that the governor had nominated an Anglo-Indian member. Although it is the prerogative of the governor, given the political instability and the power play at work, it was an attempt to assure one vote (to BJP)," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said. (PTI)

Published: 19 May 2018, 9:36 AM IST

'Missing' Congress MLA seen leaving Goldfinch hotel

Yeddyurappa's son is holding two MLAs hostage in hotel: Congress

"Don’t go to Kochi, we’ll make you a minister"

Here’s the transcript of the audio:

BC Patil - hello ... hello... hello ... give him the phone (asking the man who called to hand the phone over)

Yeddyurappa - hello

BC- Anna namaskara, congratulations

BSY- Where are you?

BC Patil - going to Cochin in the bus

BSY- don’t go to kochi, come back. come back we’ll make you a Minister and help you in whatever way you want.

BC Patil - Anna.. okay..you’ve told me now.. if you tell me something about what next..

BSY: I could only tell you when the time was right, which is why I’m doing it now. Now don’t go to kochi, come back

BCP: But we’re in the bus

BSY: don’t go, Make some excuse and come back

BCP: so what will be my position

BSY: You will become a minister

BCP: Anna i have 3 other people with me

BSY: bring them with you, you have faith in me no?

BCP: yes yes

BSY: now come back, don’t go in the bus

BCP: okay Anna okay

BSY: once you go to Cochin, the matter is closed because we won’t be able to catch you.

BCP: Okay okay Anna

BSY: now tell me what you’re going to do

BCP: I’ll Call you back in 5 minutes and tell you

Published: 19 May 2018, 9:36 AM IST

CM Yeddyurappa preparing to resign?

State assembly adjourned till 3:30 pm

Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Pratap Gowda claim threat to lives

Security tightened outside Goldfinch Hotel

Congress MLAs Anand Singh & Pratapgouda Patil seek police protection . Singh & Patil refuse to go with Congress leaders DK Suresh & HM Revanna. Duo have locked themselves up inside Gold Finch hotel

Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Pratap Gowda Patil allegedly kept captive in Gold Finch Hotel in Bengaluru. Additional Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh along with his team leaving for the Hotel: Reports

Congress releases another audio tape of alleged conversation between CM Yeddyurappa and Congress MLA BC Patil

Security has been heightened near civil secretariat and homes of legislators' to facilitate smooth conduct of the assembly proceedings for the floor test, according to Karnataka Director General of Police Nilamani Raju. Any kind of rally or procession by political parties and their supporters are also banned.

Police have gone to a hotel to see whether two Congress MLAs are being held captive. Two Congress legislators and one from the BJP are not in the house, three hours before the Karnataka trust vote, reports NDTV

He (BJP's BY Vijayendra) called the wife of a Congress MLA and asked her to request to her husband to vote for Yeddyurappa. He said 'we will give your husband a ministry or Rs. 15 crore to your husband'," VS Ugrappa of the Congress said, ANI reports

BJP MLA G Somashekhar Reddy is with the two 'missing' Congress MLAs Anand Singh and Pratap Gouda, reports ANI quoting sources

BJP will be exposed to the whole world: Veerapa Moily

DK Shivakumar exudes confidence over 'missing MLAs'

Revanna confident that 'missing' MLAs will remain loyal to Congress

Clip demonstrated how the BJP was attempting to engineer a defection, says Congress MLC VS Ugrappa

G Somashekar Reddy of BJP has not turned up in assembly so far, reports CNBC-TV18

HD Revanna comes to Vidhana Soudha barefoot

Chidambaram: In Karnataka, what is at stake is not only who will form the Government, but who will be loyal to the electorate and uphold the verdict of his/her voters

I salute the Supreme Court: Chidambaram

The victory was ours as we got the time for the floor test reduced from 15 days to 24 hours: Singhvi

As per our request, the Court has ordered a transparent process by allowing videography: Kapil Sibal

TV9 airs audio of Yeddyurappa's son

Kapil Sibal: The methods the BJP is adopting to prove its majority are known to the world. PM Modi says “na khaunga na khane dunga”. He should rather say “Na khareedunga na khareedne dunga”.

Speaker calls out Pratap Gowda Patil to take oath

Congess MLA Pratap Gowda Patil arrives, reports MirrorNow

Prohibitory orders imposed in 8 assembly constituencies

2 Missing Congress MLAs camping in Taj Westend hotel, reports News9

KG Bopaiah forms 5-member speaker panel

Two Congress MLAs Anand Singh & Pratap Gowda Patil have not yet come to the assembly for oath-taking, reports ANI

CM Yeddyurappa & Sriramulu resign from Lok Sabha

Who will win today? BJP's BS Yeddyurappa or the JDS-Congress combine of Kumaraswamy-Siddaramaiah? We'll know before 5 pm today

All eyes now shift to Bengaluru, where proceedings in the assembly and floor test are to be telecast live

Supreme Court: No other agenda should be in place, only floor test; reports Arvind Gunasekar

CM BS Yeddyurappa and Siddaramaiah take oath as MLAs at Vidhana Soudha

All channel to be provided live feed to broadcast floor test of Karnataka assembly, Congress-JDS express satisfaction on SC proposal; reports ToI

Breaking: SC orders Live Telecast of Karnataka assembly floor test

Supreme Court dictating order in Congress-JDS challenge to pro tem speaker

SupremeCourt says let all TV channels telecast [floor test]; reports Deccan Herald

Supreme Court: We will give direction to the Pro tem to do division vote for the floor test and live telecast of the proceedings

Karnataka Governor counsel says proceedings would be telecast live; Supreme Court says that solves entire problem it can't be more fair; SC thanks counsel; reports Deccan Herald

Kapil Sibal: Sr member of the house should be appointed to supervise the floor test as Pro tem speaker; reports Arvind Gunasekar

Justice AK Sikri to Sibal: If Bopaiah does only administering the oath to MLAs, then who will supervise the floor test; reports Arvind Gunasekar

Justice Bobde to Sibal: you are in a zone of consideration. You want us to test the suitability of the PT Speaker but you do not want to postpone the test; reports The Hindu

Justice Bobde: If you want us to review the order, we should postpone the floor test; reports The Hindu

SC says in that case we have to issue notice to KG Bopaiah, we must hear him; Sibal says he should not take trust vote; SC says it was at your suggestion, we agreed for pro tem speaker's appointment; reports Deccan Herald

Kapil Sibal tells SC: Bopaiah has then acted in mala fide manner to ensure trust vote did not go against BS Yeddyurappa then. We would have never come you if this was not so; reports Deccan Herald

Kapil Sibal tells SC Boppaiah had manipulated the majority in past; reports Live Law

Kapil Sibal tells SC Bopaiah has a history, gives example of 2010, when he disqualified certain members which the Court found as illegal and unconstitutional. Sibal reads SC judgement 2011 against Bopaiah; reports Deccan Herald

Justice Bobde agrees with Singhvi: Senior most means not age but number of tenures; reports The Hindu

Kapil Sibal: Bopaiah’s conduct history also to be looked at here; reports Arvind Gunasekar

Supreme Court: There are instances where senior most were not appointed as pro tem speaker; reports Deccan Herald

KapilSibal: KG Bopaiah is the person against whom there have been orders by this court itself. He is a junior member. This creates inconsistency; reports Bar & Bench

Kapil Sibal: SC Constitution bench judgment in Nabal Rebia case has made it clear that the Guv’s discretion under Article 163 is limited and restricted; reports Arvind Gunasekar

It is global practice and established convention that senior most member is to be appointed as pro tem speaker, Kapil Sibal tells Supreme Court; reports Deccan Herald

Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and other BJP MLAs arrive at Vidhana Soudha; reports ANI

Kapil Sibal to the Bench: Want to apologise for the trouble first of all. Appointment of Boppaiah is a problem. Just giving oaths is fine. But if Boppaiah has to supervise trust votes. It is a problem; reports The Hindu

AM Singhvi and Kapil Sibal appearing for Congress and JDS; AG KK Venugopal & ASG Tushar Mehta to defend the appointment of Pro tem speaker along with Mukul Rohatgi; reports Arvind Gunasekar

Hearing begins in Supreme Court

HD Kumaraswamy holds talks with newly-elected JD(S) MLAs; instructs them to not fall for any last minute offers by BJP; reports NEWS9

Senior Advocates Abhishekh Manu Singhvi, Kapil Sibal, Mukul Rohatgi, AG KK Venugopal and Ram Jethmalani have reached Court Room 6; reports Bar & Bench

Supreme Court to shortly start hearing Congress-JDS plea challenging appointment of pro-tem Speaker KG Bopaiah for Floor Test in Karnataka Assembly; reports Bar & Bench

Lawyers braced up on both sides for pro tem speaker challenge hearing in Supreme Court; reports The Hindu

HD Kumaraswamy, JD(S): Up to 4 pm, BJP will try to poach our MLAs. All the MLAs are together, no one is going to go to the other side. None of our MLAs are trapped. Me & Siddaramaiah will go together; reports ANI

Congress MLAs leave from Hotel Hilton for Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru; reports ANI

Newly elected MLAs arrive at Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru ahead of oath taking ceremony; reports NEWS9

Congress-JDS application in SC spells out fears about Operation Lotus 2

The Congress-JDS application in SC says the "manner in which preparations for the floor test is being carried out seems to suggest that it is being designed to replicate defections orchestrated" by Yeddyurappa in the year 2008 when he was again short of majority. The same is commonly known as "Operation Lotus".

Published: 19 May 2018, 9:36 AM IST

Justices AK Sikri, SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan to hear pro tem speaker challenge

The Congress-JDS application seeks setting aside of the appointment of KG Bopaiah as pro-term speaker and appointment of the senior most member in his place, and that except for administering oath and conducting floor test, the pro-tem Speaker should be restrained from exercising any other power. It also asks for videography of the floor test,

Published: 19 May 2018, 9:36 AM IST

Siddaramaiah arrived at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Floor Test to be held at 4 pm today; reports ANI

Security beefed up outside Vidhana Soudha ahead of the floor test

Congress lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi leaves for the Supreme Court for hearing in plea filed by Congress-JD(S) regarding the appointment of pro tem speaker KG Bopaiah today; reports ANI

SC to hear on Saturday at 10.30 am the Cong-JDS petition challenging appointment of KG Bopaiah as protem Speaker; reports ToI

Follow all the action and updates from the Supreme Court and Karnataka assembly floor test with National Herald

Good morning. Follow all the live updates as BS Yeddyurappa face a floor test in Karnataka at 4 pm today. Before that, the Supreme Court will hear a Congress-JDS challenge to Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to appoint controversial BJP MLA KG Bopaiah as pro tem speaker, overlooking far more senior MLAs. By convention, the seniormost MLA—Congress' RV Deshpande—is appointed pro tem speaker.

Published: 19 May 2018, 9:36 AM IST

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Published: 19 May 2018, 9:36 AM IST