Prohibitory orders will be in place around Vidhana Soudha on the day newly sworn-in Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is to prove majority on the floor of the House. Section 144 will be in place 2 km around the Vidhana Soudha from 6 pm on July 29 to 12 am on July 30. Section 144 of the CrPC prohibits the gathering of more than four people in a public space.
BS Yediyurappa was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka in Bengaluru on Friday evening for the fourth time. He had met with Governor Vala earlier on Friday staking claim to form the next government in Karnataka. The Governor gave Yediyurappa a one-week deadline to prove majority on the floor of the Assembly. On Friday, Yediyurappa had said that he would hold a floor test to prove his majority in the state Assembly on Monday (July 29).
"At the cabinet meeting held soon after I took oath as Chief Minister, I decided to go for floor test in the Assembly on Monday at 10 am, to prove majority," the 75-year-old Yediyurappa said at a press conference in the state secretariat.
The BJP has 105 members in the 225-member Assembly. The current Assembly strength is 222 after Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Thursday disqualified three Congress rebels. The disqualification came after the rebels defied the whip issued for their presence in the House on July 23 when then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy put the confidence motion he moved on July 18 to vote but lost. One Independent is also supporting the BJP. With all the remaining 13 rebels deciding to abstain from the Assembly till the trust vote is conducted, the Speaker's decision on their resignations by Monday will make no difference for the trial of strength by Yediyurappa.
With the absence of the 13, the house strength will be 209, with 105 as the halfway mark for a simple majority. The effective strength of the Congress in the House will be 63 out of original 79, while the JD(S) has 34 legislators.