After an overnight ‘dharna’ at the Assembly over the demand for floor test by BJP legislators, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala wrote to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy asking him to prove majority of the government on the floor of the House by 1:30 pm today.

This is the Governor’s second letter on the trust vote. His first to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar earlier on Thursday had been ignored after members of the ruling Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government protested the intervention by the state’s governor in proceedings of the House.

“The fact that 15 members have met me and tendered their resignations and coupled with 2 members have withdrawn their support and other attendant circumstances do prima facie indicate that you have lost majority/confidence of the House,” Governor Vajubhai Vala told Kumaraswamy in the letter quoted by Hindustan Times.

In the letter, the Governor said that he had received a memorandum from the BJP delegation stating that the government was unnecessarily dragging the issue of Vote of Confidence and had stalled and consequently adjourned without reaching any finality.

He further said that since 17 MLAs have withdrawn their support to the coalition government, the Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) government had prima facie lost the majority.

The BJP MLAs had dinner and slept over at the Assembly after protesting against the coalition government CM Kumaraswamy for trying to delay the trust vote.

The BJP is quite confident of winning the floor test as 17 lawmakers of the coalition government have withdrawn support.

Earlier on Thursday, Congress leader and former CM Siddaramaiah said that it was not appropriate to take the floor test in the session as there has been no clarification on the resignation of the rebel MLAs.

“Till we get clarification on Supreme Court’s previous order, it is not appropriate to take a floor test in this session which is against the Constitution,” he told the House.

He further said that in the event of a confidence motion going ahead, it will be a big loss to the coalition government if the whip is applicable and the rebel MLAs do not attend the session because of the Supreme Court order.

“The Supreme Court order influences MLAs who are not attending the House and the proceedings. When a vote of confidence is taken up, they will not be here. This is a huge setback for the coalition. I seek clarification on this,” he said.

Siddaramaiah also requested the House to postpone the motion till there is a clarification from the apex court.

Earlier, as soon as the trust motion was moved by Kumaraswamy, BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa said the trust vote process should be completed in a single day, to which Kumaraswamy taunted that “the Leader of Opposition seems to be in a hurry”.