The MLAs and MPs of Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) are likely to sit on a 'dharna' outside Raj Bhawan from tomorrow if they are not invited by Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala to prove their majority to form government in Karnataka. This statement comes hours after reports came in that 12 Congress MLAs were absent in the legislative meeting held earlier today at Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office. As per reports, 66 out of the 78 MLAs attended the legislative meeting held at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office here. As the results of the poll in the state have left Karnataka with a hung assembly, the final decision will be taken by the Governor. Results of the Karnataka Assembly polls announced on Tuesday evening showed that the BJP won 104 seats, emerging as the single largest party, while the Congress and JD(S) bagged 78 and 37 seats, respectively. Soon after, the Congress announced that it would support the JD (S), taking their total seat share to 117, thus resulting in a fractured mandate.
According to India Today, Yeddyurappa consulted an astrologer to know his chances of becoming chief minister.
Developments on Karnataka Game of Throne: Outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the Congress-JD(S) combine has 117 MLAs and Governor Vajubhai Vala has to give them an opportunity to form government. Siddaramaiah accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of encouraging horse-trading. Union minister Prakash Javadekar dismissed as imaginary JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's charge that BJP was offering Rs 1 billion to lure its MLAs. JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy claims that BJP is trying to "bribe" its way to power through "horsetrading" after falling short of majority, alleges that his party's MLAs are being offered Rs 1 billion to break away. H D Kumaraswamy is elected leader of JD(S) legislature party. B S Yeddyurappa is elected leader of BJP legislature party, meets governor and gives letter about his unanimous election to the post, says he should be asked to take oath as chief minister.
Top 10 developments on who will form government in Karnataka and the recently conducted elections
1. Congress-JD(S) submits documents before Guv proving majority:The chief ministerial candidate of the alliance, HD Kumaraswamy told reporters, "We have submitted the necessary documents which show that we have the numbers required to form the government. He (Governor of Karnataka) promised he will consider according to the Constitution." Congress leader DK Shivakumar said that none of the elected MLAs backed out, and the alliance continues to hold majority.
"Governor has assured that he will take action as per the Constitution. We have full faith in him that he will not do injustice. We have our numbers, not even a single member has moved out. We will not allow any such thing to happen," Shivakumar told reporters.
2. Prasad slams Siddaramaiah for remarks against PM: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed outgoing Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of encouraging horse-trading in the state, saying the Congress should understand that the mandate of the people is against it. Taking a dig at the Congress, he said the Karnataka elections were a no-ordinary affair as Siddaramaiah lost in one constituency and "scraped through" in the other. "Only 16 of his Cabinet colleagues lost in the elections," he said sarcastically. "I have seen in the media utterly irresponsible, misleading and malicious comments by Siddaramaiah against our prime minister...I completely deny these allegations," Prasad said.
3. Congress has 'complete' faith in Karnataka Governor: Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said that the party has complete faith in Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala to abide by the Constitution. "At this juncture, we have complete faith in the Governor that he will go by the Constitution and not party politics," Azad told reporters, adding that the BJP did not have the numbers to form government despite emerging as the single largest party.
"Modi and Shah are supporting BJP leaders in horse-trading to poach legislators of our party and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) to prevent us from forming the next government in the state," Siddaramaiah said.
Asserting that the party would not allow the BJP to form a government in the state at any cost, Siddaramaiah said none of the Congress legislators were missing or likely to defect to the BJP.
"We have a plan to safeguard our MLAs, who are together and will not join the BJP, which has 8 less seats for the 112-halfway mark and prove majority," Siddaramaiah said.
5. Congress may move court if not invited to form govt: The Congress is likely to move court if Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala does not invite the JD(S)-Congress combine to form a government going by tradition and in accordance with constitutional and legal provisions. "We have staked our claim for formation of a government as we have the numbers as also the total vote share of over 56 per cent," added a senior party leader.
"All options remain open to the Congress," the party's communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said when asked what the party would do if the governor invited the BJP to form government. He said the governor is expected to listen to the mandate of the people.
6. Omar Abdullah wants political turncoats to be banned: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said MLAs who switch parties should be banned from contesting elections for one term in order to prevent horsetrading in the event of a hung house. He was apparently referring to the post-poll situation in Karnataka where the BJP has staked claim to form the government despite being seven short of simple majority.
7. Javadekar trashes Kumaraswamy's Rs 100-cr charge as 'imaginary': Union minister Prakash Javadekar today rubbished JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's charge that the BJP was offering Rs 100 crore to wean away his party MLAs in its bid to form a government in Karnataka, saying it is "imaginary". "Rs 100 crore, Rs 200 crore figures are imaginary. The BJP is not doing anything. This is the kind of politics the JD(S) and Congress play," he told reporters.
8. The chief ministerial candidate of the Bhartiya Janta Party and former CM of the state, BS Yeddyurappa said that he was going to be elected as the leader of the party. He added that all the MLAs from the BJP will meet Governor to request him to allow the party to form a government in the state.
"Tomorrow at 10:30 am in BJP legislative party meeting, I am going to be elected as party leader. After that, all MLAs are going to meet the Governor to request him to allow BJP to form govt. Now the ball is in the court of the Governor. We will do as he decides," he said on Tuesday.
9. Learning from mistakes, Cong acted swiftly to be in raceLearning from past mistakes, the Congress on Tuesday moved swiftly to remain in the game as it extended support to JD(S) to form a government in Karnataka after the BJP failed to get a simple majority.
The move is seen as an attempt by the beleaguered party to save yet another state from slipping out of its kitty. The Congress currently rules Punjab, Mizoram and Puducherry.
Tuesday's step will also help provide a major boost to the "sagging morale" of the Congress ahead of state assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the party sees an opportunity to upstage the BJP, and 2019 general elections.
Unlike in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya, where the Congress failed to form its government despite securing the highest seats, it forged a quick post-poll alliance with the JD-S in Karnataka and staked claim to government formation.
Sensing a clear opportunity, the Congress leadership took a quick call to let go of the post of chief minister, which it offered to JD-S that lapped it up immediately.
10. BJP reaches out to JD(S): The BJP on Wednesday reached out to the JD(S) and offered H D Kumaraswamy the CM's post, in an attempt to form the next government in the state, sources told ETnow. BJP is just 9 seats short of the half-way mark, while the JD(S) has 37 seats in the 224-member Assembly. A day before, the Congress had offered support to JD(S) and chief ministership to Kumaraswamy. The JD(S) had accepted the offer. While it remains to be seen which of the BJP and Congress will come to power, it looks almost certain that the JD(S) would be part of the ruling coalition. Also, it looks imminent that Kumaraswamy would be the next CM -- either with the Congress support or with the BJP's.