Two ‘missing’ MLAs reach Vidhana Soudha ahead of floor test, join Congress camp

Bengaluru, May 19: The floor test in the Karnataka Assembly is scheduled for 4 pm today, as per the Supreme Court order. Senior BJP MLA K.G. Bopaiah, who was appointed as the Pro Tem Speaker by Governor Vajubhai Vala, will oversee the proceedings, which will also be telecast live.

BJP, with 104 seats, is seven short of the required number of 111. The Congress with 78 MLAs, the JD(S) with 36 and three others are also individually not in a position to form the government.

Assembly session began at 11 am on Saturday morning and the newly-elected MLAs took were sworn into the Karnataka Assembly. Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was sworn in alone on Friday morning by Governor Vajubhai Vala.

Pratapgouda Patil, the Congress MLA from Maski who went missing and was said to have joined the BJP camp, reached Vidhana soudha a few minutes earlier, sources said. He was said to have been holed up in a private hotel in Bengaluru.

Congress leaders issued the party whip to the MLA. BJP MLA S.R. Viswanath was seen trying to take the MLA away, but he refused and joined the Congress camp.

Anand Singh, the missing Congress MLA also reached Vidhana Soudha, along with his wife and son. He was welcomed by D.K. Shivakumar and taken inside.

Massive security arrangements

As per the directions of the apex court, the police have made massive security arrangements in and around the Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature, for the smooth conduct of the floor test, reports news agency.

Public entry to the Vidhana Soudha has been restricted and officials and staff of the Secretariat are being allowed to enter the premises after thorough checks.

120 marshals of legislative assembly and 80 marshals of legislative council have been deployed today.