Karnataka BJP MLAs Stage Overnight ‘Dharna’ Inside Vidhana Soudha

Karnataka MLAs stage overnight ‘dharna’ inside Vidhana Soudha

(Photo: The Quint)

In a dramatic turn of events in the political crisis-hit state of Karnataka, the state BJP MLAs staged an overnight ‘dharna’ at Vidhana Soudha, the assembly house, on Thursday, 18 July.

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

(Photo: The Quint)

The party MLAs took the decision to protest the postponement of the floor test in the Assembly. The trust vote which was scheduled to take place on Thursday, will now take place at 1:30 PM on Friday.

“This government has lost its majority. They tried to drag their feet on the issue and provoke us, but we acted with patience. We will continue to press for a trust vote on the motion. We will stage a night-long dharna in the House,” news agency ANI quoted Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa, as saying.

(Catch all the live updates on the Karnataka crisis here.)

Earlier in the day, the trust vote to decide the fate of the wobbly 14-month old JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka did not take place on as the Assembly was adjourned till Friday, amid acrimonious exchanges.

BJP leaders had also sought Governor Vajubhai Vala’s intervention over the delay in the floor test. The Congress, meanwhile, called it an ‘interference’ by the governor.

This was after Congress pressed for deferring the confidence motion, moved by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, till the Assembly Speaker decides on the issue of the party's whip.