Congress says BJP 'poaching' its MLAs; Siddaramaiah confident of forming govt
Tuesday’s high-octane political drama after the Karnataka election results threw up a hung assembly, both the camps – the BJP and the Congress-JD(S) combine – will hold meetings of their top leadership in the state today to discuss the future course of action.
Yesterday, in their bid to stop BJP from forming a government in Karnataka, JD(S) accepted Congress' proposal for alliance with Deve Gowda's son Kumaraswamy as the chief minister of the proposed alliance government. The JD(S) and Congress have approached the Governor with a letter of support to put forward their demand to form a government in the state.
BJP’s CM candidate in Karnataka B S Yeddyurappa also met the Governor to stake claim to form a government.
The Governor of Karnataka is likely to invite the BJP to form a government in the state as it has emerged as the single largest party. Meanwhile, top BJP leaders have rushed to the poll-bound state to handle the political turmoil, that was already predicted by pollsters.
Here are the LIVE updates on Karnataka Assembly Election Results:
09:16 am: All the Congress MLAs are intact. Nobody is missing. We are confident of forming the government: Siddaramaiah, Congress after reaching the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office for party legislative meeting.
09:15 am: They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, we know that. Everyday there is a lot of pressure. But it not so easy because two parties have the necessary number. People are watching this: DK Shivakumar
09:14 am: Yes definitely there is a plan. We have to safeguard our MLAs, We will let you know what is the plan: DK Shivakumar, Congress on being asked if Congress MLAs in Karnataka will be shifted somewhere else
09:11 am: The single largest party doesn't have the numbers. BJP has 104, we (Congress & JDS) have 117. Governor cannot take sides. Can a person who is there to save constitution, destroy it too? The gov has to cut all its previous associations, be it BJP or RSS: Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress
09:06 am: I got a call from the BJP leaders. They said come to us & we'll give a ministry to you. We'll make you a minister. But, I'm going to stay here. HD Kumaraswamy is our Chief Minister: Amaregouda Linganagouda Patil Bayyapur, Congress
09:05 am: JDS meeting venue has been changed from Bengaluru’s Le Mediridian Hotel to Shangreela Hotel in Vasanthanagar
08:31 am: BJP legislative party meeting likely at 10:30 am. Following the meet, all party MLAs led by Yeddyurappa to approach Governor to request him to allow the party to prove majority.
08:14 am: The JD(S), which is likely to likely to send its MLAs to a resort in Kochi, will first hold a crucial meeting of its leaders in Bengaluru’s Le Mediridian Hotel at 09:30 am today to elect Kumaraswamy as the leader of the legislature party.
08:05 am: According to sources, Congress may zero in on G Parmeshwar's name as deputy CM after a meeting today.
08:02 am: Former CM Siddaramaiah to conduct a meeting of newly elected Congress and JD(S) MLAs today
08:00 am: BJP, in its bid to form a government in the southern state, dispatched central ministers Prakash Javadekar, Dharmendra Pradhan and J P Nadda to Bengaluru to consult CM-nominee B S Yeddyurappa and other state leaders on the possible options. The three will attend a meeting of the newly-elected BJP MLAs in Bengaluru on Wednesday as the party's central observers.
07:55 am: The BJP and JD(S) are expected to reapproach the Governor today to stake claim to form the next government in the state.