Karnataka Floor Test: Confident of winning trust vote, says Congress

Congress party is in an upbeat mood at least for a moment following the Supreme Court directing floor test to be held at 4 pm on Saturday. Congress party with 78 legislators in the 224 member Karnataka assembly pointed out that it along with 38 members of Janata Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party and two independents will win the trust vote on the floor of house. The party has sent the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Rajasthan's former chief minister Ashok Gehlot are camping in Bengaluru to avoid any lapses.

However, the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and former chief minister Siddaramiah alleged that party's missing legislator BS Anand Singh has been abducted and kept in the Centre's captivity in Delhi. Azad claimed that some of the BJP legislators, who faces several graft charges, have been deployed to lure Congress legislators.

Azad however, hinted that Anand Singh will come and vote tomorrow. Earlier, Congress had alleged that Centre was using the Enforcement Directorate to fix Anand Singh. Besides, BJP was allegedly luring party legislators by offering bribe. But both Azad and Siddaramaiah have not substantiated their charges by providing proof.

Party leaders indicated that legislators, who are currently moved to Hyderabad, will be travelled back to Bengaluru early Saturday morning. The party is taking all the possible care to take its flock together. Congress legislators DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh have been bestowed with the responsibility of taking care of party legislators.

Siddramaiah stepped up attack against Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala for dumping the claim jointly staked by Congress and JD(S) combine. 

Rajasthan's former chief minister Ashok Gehlot rejected media reports that some eight party legislators were in BJP's contact. ''It is untrue. All party legislators are together except Anand Singh. Efforts are being made to establish contact with him. We are confident that those elected on Congress ticket will vote for the party,'' he noted.

Azad elaborated the process of how floor test needs to take place tomorrow. ''We have therefore requested that a pro tem speaker needs to be appointed which will be followed by swearing in of all legislators.  We requested that pro tem speaker should be the senior most legislator which is customary. Thereafter, the election of speaker takes place and the whole procedure of vote will take place,'' he noted.

Former minister Veerappa Moily said ''We have won in the Supreme Court and will now win in the assembly.'' He alleged that Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa was insecured and therefore had withdrawn the security deployed at the Eagleton resort where Congress party legislators were camping until Thursday night.