Karnataka Crisis: Floor test demand unmet, BJP MLAs to stage 'overnight dharna' at Vidhana Soudha as Speaker adjourns Assembly till Friday

After the Karnataka Assembly trust vote debate was postponed by the Speaker to Friday 11 AM, BJP MLAs on Thursday, have stayed back inside the state Assembly performing an overnight 'dharna' demanding that the Speaker replies to the Governor's letter, demanding a floor test.

Earlier in the day, amid the ongoing Floor Test debate in the Karnataka Assembly, Governor Vajubhai Vala had written to Speaker Ramesh Kumar to consider holding the Trust Vote of the Kumaraswamy-led coalition government by the end of the day. 

"This according to me, will uphold the highest traditions of democracy and parliamentary practice," said Speaker K R Ramesh reading the Governor's message in the house.

Karnataka Crisis: Governor Writes To Speaker Recommending Trust Vote Take Place Today Itself; BJP Agrees, Congress-JDS Say 'keep Out'

Following this development, Karnataka Congress MLA HK Patil said that Governor shall not interfere in the proceedings of the session as per the constitution.

The Speaker then adjourned the house for the day and announced that the debate will be continued on Friday at 11 AM.

Previously in the morning,  a delegation of Karnataka BJP leaders including Jagadish Shettar, Arvind Limbavali, Basavaraj Bommai, SR Vishwanath and N Ravikumar met the Governor and submitted a memorandum over the vote of confidence. Backing Governor's suggestion, Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa also urged that the Trust Vote should happen on Thursday itself, expressing confidence over its victory. 

While speaking on the floor of the House over the no-confidence motion debate, CM Kumaraswamy lashed out at the 15 rebel MLAs over false allegations against his stable government in the Supreme Court during the hearing on Wednesday. During the debate, Congress has also blamed BJP after pictures of their party MLA Shrimant Patil, who had gone incommunicado earlier, were found with him  admitted at a hospital in Mumbai. 

Karnataka Crisis: SC Says Rebel MLAs Not To Be Compelled To Take Part In Assembly Proceedings, Speaker Free To Decide On Resignations As Per His Time-frame

The 14-months old Congress-JD(S) coalition government is on the verge of collapse with numbers favouring BJP as of Thursday.

Here are the numbers at present:

BJP - 105 MLAs
Congress-JD(S) MLAs - 100 including Ramalinga Reddy 
Speaker- 1
Rebels MLAs- 15
Independent- 2
BSP MLA - 1

Votes in the House on Thursday:

BJP - 105 MLAs
Congress-JD(S) MLAs - 100 including Ramalinga Reddy 
Speaker- 1
Halfway mark: 103

Missing MLAs:

Rebels MLAs- 15
Independent- 2
Congress MLAs - 2
BSP MLA - 1

Meanwhile, as ordered by the Supreme Court on Wednesday in the rebel MLA vs the Assembly Speaker matter, Ramesh Kumar is yet to decide on the resignation/disqualification of the rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs.