Hit by rebellion, Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar clung on even as governor HR Bhardwaj warned on Saturday that he would order a floor test the moment the six-month-old government lost majority. “The day the government comes into minority, even with one MLA less, I will issue notice (for the floor test),” Bhardwaj told reporters, as Shettar stood next to him after the Republic Day function here. “I will not do any unconstitutional work. I am watching.”

The ruling BJP was shaken on Wednesday after 13 party MLAs — all loyalists of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa — announced their decision to quit the assembly membership.

If speaker KG Bopaiah accepts the 13 resignations, the BJP’s numbers in the 225-member assembly — effective strength 223 because Yeddyurappa and another MLA have quit — will come down from 118 to 105. Accordingly, the house strength will come down to 210. If a floor test is ordered, the government will need 106 members for a simple majority.

The BJP will still have a bit of breathing space because it has the support of one of the seven independent MLAs.
Bhardwaj said that even with the 13 resignations, the government “is still in majority”.