In late-night drama on Wednesday, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala invited former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to form the government on the basis of his election as Leader of the BJP Legislature Party. Mr. Yeddyurappa will take oath — for the third time — as the 29th Chief Minister of Karnataka on Thursday morning. He has been asked to prove he enjoys the confidence of the Assembly within 15 days of assuming office.
The Governor’s decision came after both the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular), with the support of the Congress, staked claim to form the government. Although the signatures of 117 elected members were submitted by the leaders of the JD(S) and the Congress, the Governor invited Mr. Yeddyurappa, the leader of the single largest party in the Assembly.
Without losing time, the Congress approached the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra, at his residence, seeking an urgent hearing of its petition challenging the Governor’s decision. A three-judge Bench of Justices A.K. Sikri, Ashok Bhushan and S.A. Bobde was scheduled to hear the plea at 1.45 a.m.
Meanwhile, in an effort to keep its flock together, the Congress herded its elected partymen and two Independent legislators to a resort on the outskirts of the city. One of its members, mining baron Anand Singh, remained off the party’s radar, fuelling speculation about his crossover. He had shifted to the Congress from the BJP just before the polls. The JD(S) too is likely to shift its MLA-elects to a resort.
Kumaraswamy’s charge
Soon after the announcement from the Governor’s office, JD(S) State president H.D. Kumaraswamy, who has been supported by the Congress to form the government, said the 15-day time given to Mr. Yeddyurappa was unprecedented and “threw the doors wide open for horse-trading.” He said the Governor should direct the BJP leader not to take any decision during the period.
The Governor’s decision to invite the BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats (eight short of majority in the 222-member House, with two constituencies yet to go to the polls), is expected to intensify the political slugfest after the people’s mandate threw up a hung Assembly.
