BJP stakes claim to form Government in Karnataka

After successfully wooing five independent MLAs, the BJP has formally staked a claim to form a Government in Karnataka.

A delegation comprising BJP Legislature Party leader B S Yeddyurappa and senior party leader Arun Jaitley called on Governor Rameshwar Thakur in Bangalore late on Monday evening and handed over a letter containing information about the party’s strength in the assembly and the support extended by independent MLAs.

Briefing reporters, Jaitley said the letter was signed by all the 110 newly elected BJP MLAs, besides five individual letters signed the independents extending unconditional support to the party to form a Government.

Jaitley hoped the Governor will not invite Yeddyurappa to form the Government as the party enjoyed the majority support of 115 MLAs in a house of 224 members.

Meanwhile, the sixth independent MLA Varthur Prakash from Kolar turned up at meeting of senior BJP leaders at a hotel in Bangalore on Tuesday and declared his support to the party.

Speaking to reporters in Bangalore, Yeddyurappa said he expected the Governor to extend an invitation to him by Tuesday evening and hoped to be sworn in by Wednesday evening.

“There are certain formalities to be completed. The gazette notification on the constitution of the new assembly is to be issued and the Centre should revoke the President’s rule in the State. I expect to be sworn in on Wednesday, probably in the evening”, Yeddyurappa said.

Meanwhile, Congress as well as JD (S) leaders ruled out any possibilities of coming together to form a coalition Government to prevent the BJP from coming to power.

Though a half-hearted attempt was made by the Congress on Monday to enlist the support of independents, the party leaders ruled out joining hands with JD (S). “We are not exploring the possibility of a coalition with the JD (S)”, former Minister D K Shivakumar told reporters.

Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy also made it clear that the party would accept the defeat with grace and would prefer to sit in the Opposition.