A JD(S)-sponsored no confidence motion against the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka was today defeated in the Legislative Assembly by a voice vote after the Chief Minister called the move a "futile exercise" and "politically motivated".
With the numbers clearly stacked in favour of the government and the BJP also fighting shy of backing the motion, the JDS offensive ended in a whimper.
"(JDS leader) Kumaraswamy may have lost confidence in us, but not the people of this state. My government commands the confidence of people from all sections of this state. I think BJP by not supporting this motion also has expressed confidence in us," he said.
"This motion is politically motivated and is a futile exercise," he said in his response, expressing dissatisfaction over which the JD(S) members staged a walk out of the House.
Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa put the motion to vote, which was defeated by a voice vote but not before an awkward moment when Congress members by mistake raised their voice in support of the motion.
The motion was admitted last week and Kumaraswamy had initiated the discussion yesterday.
BJP, the principal opposition party, did not support the motion, noting that with numbers in favour of the ruling party, it would not serve any purpose and claiming that the government would fall on its own because of its follies.
Congress has 123 MLAs in the 225 member Assembly, while BJP and JD(S) have 44 and 40 MLAs respectively.
Siddaramaiah said to move a no confidence motion, there should be law and order crisis or there should be financial instability or dissidence within the ruling party.
"None of this is the case here. I think Kumaraswamy has moved this motion to cover up dissidence activities within his party JD(S)," he said, adding "most of the JDS MLAs, including Kumaraswamy's brother H D Revanna have their confidence in me.
