Karnataka floor test: Will win 'clearly', says HD Kumaraswamy

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Friday said that he is confident of proving his majority in the Karnataka Assembly.

"I have no tension, I am going to win clearly," Kumaraswamy was quoted as saying by ANI ahead of floor test, Kumaraswamy was quoted saying by ANI.

The newly formed JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka under Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will face a trust vote on Friday to prove majority in the Karnataka Assembly.

Both the Congress and JD(S) have kept their MLAs locked at separate resorts and hotels to prevent any 'poaching' by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which failed to form the government despite emerging as the single largest party in the state in May 12 Assembly elections.

According to the reports, Kumaraswamy will expand his council of ministers after the trust vote on Friday which he is expected to win without any hiccups. The Congress, which has 78 MLAs, is likely to get 20 ministerial berths and the JD(S) with 37 lawmakers 12.

In the 222-member House where 112 is a simple majority, the JDS-Congress combine has 118 MLAs (JDS 37, Congress 78 and three others), while the BJP has 104 seats. The Assembly will conduct an election to pick a new Speaker before the vote of confidence is tabled.

The BJP on the other hand which is the single largest party has decided to make the alliance sweat by fielding its candidate for the post of Speaker.

The Congress has nominated former speaker K R Ramesh Kumar as its candidate, while the BJP has picked veteran legislator S Suresh Kumar.

The JDS-Congress government replaced the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP government, which assumed office on May 17 and exited two days later after failing to muster the numbers for a simple majority. The JDS-Congress coalition was forged after the Assembly polls of May 12 threw up a hung verdict.