BJP, Congress, JD(S) hold meetings with MLAs ahead of crucial trust vote in Karnataka Assembly

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa will chair BJP's legislature party meeting at 9 am on Saturday ahead of the crucial Assembly floor test where he has to prove his majority. Yeddyurappa held a meeting with state DGP Neelmani N Raju before leaving for the  Shangri-La Hotel where all 103 legislators of the BJP are housed.

After the meeting, the legislators will be ferried in four buses to the Assembly. BJP's strength has been cut down to 103 from 104 following the appointment of KG Bopaiah as the pro tem speaker by Governor Vajubhai Vala. BJP leaders at the hotel indicated that the party is quite confident in Yeddyurappa's win on the floor of the Assembly.

Earlier, Yeddyurappa was briefed at his residence by the state DGP Nilmani Raju and additional DGP (intelligence) Amar Kumar Pandey on the security arrangements in and outside the Vidhana Soudha. Heavy security force has been deployed and the prohibitory orders have been issued around the premises. 

Congress legislators arrived from Hyderabad early morning today and were taken to Hilton hotel. They will meet senior party leaders including former chief minister Siddramaiah, leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Gulam Nabi Azad and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. They will be once again briefed about the manner in which the floor test will be conducted. 

Congress legislators DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh, have been assigned to take care of all party MLAs. Party legislators Anand Singh and Pratap Gowda Patil are still missing. However, the Congress is still confident that they would come and participate in the floor test, casting their vote for the party. Congress is taking all possible steps to avoid cross-voting.

Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs, who also left Hyderabad along with Congress legislators arrived at Le Méridien Hotel in the city today morning. One of the buses carrying JD (S) MLAs had met with a technical snag on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru highway. 

JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy will address all party legislators, asking them not to succumb to any pressure and cross vote.