After days of uncertainity, the trust vote in Karnataka assembly has finally begun. This after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy told Speaker Ramesh Kumar that he was ready for a trust vote.

At around 7.15 pm, the Speaker asked officials to close the galleries and started conducting head count of MLAs seated in each row. The assembly has seen chaos in the last few days with the Congress and JD(S) accusing the BJP of orchestrating the rebellion.

The Speaker that the Deputy Speaker's vote can be counted, and in case of a tie, his own vote will count. Currently, it does not seem as if the coalition has the numbers, however Congress and JD(S) leaders have been exhuding confidence. 

Meanwhile, the rebel MLAs were asked by the Speaker to appear before him by 11 am on Tuesday to defend themselves regarding disqualification petitions against them. As these MLAs remain adamant that they will not return to their respective party folds, the BJP still has a clear advantage.

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