Karnataka LIVE: Congress, JD(S) legislators to meet today ahead of Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in as CM

As Karnataka chief minister-designate HD Kumaraswamy dismissed reports of differences between his JD(S) and the Congress over the distribution of portfolios, newly elected MLAs of the two parties will meet in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Kumaraswamy visited UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday. Both parties decided to set up a joint coordination committee and formulate a common minimum programme for the smooth functioning of their coalition government.

While the JD(S) has agreed to leave the Speaker’s post for the Congress, Rahul has deputed Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal to work out names for the deputy chief minister post.

BJP chief Amit Shah called the alliance as unholy and said this government will be a “betrayal” of people’s mandate, inviting criticism from Congress which dubbed the BJP a “habitual offender” of stealing governments citing formation of governments in Goa and Manipur.

Here are the live updates:

11.02am: Supreme Court refuses to give an early hearing into the petition filed by Hindu Mahasabha challenging the ‘unconstitutional’ oath-taking ceremony and appointment of H D Kumarswamy as the Karnataka chief minister.

10.35am: Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress says the first objective of the alliance is Speaker’s election, vote of confidence comes next. “Other things will be discussed only after these two are sorted,” says Kharge on distribution of portfolios in Congress-JD(S) government.

10am: Hindu Mahasabha files a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the oath-taking ceremony and appointment of HD Kumarswamy as the Karnataka chief minister, stating it is unconstitutional.

9.20am: BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa alleges irregularities in conduct of assembly elections in Karnataka. “I am of firm belief that Election Commission has taken a serious note of VVPAT machines found abandoned in a shed near Managuli village in Vijayapur district. It indicates grave irregularities in conduct of assembly polls in Karnataka,” Yeddyurappa tells ANI.

8.10am: Kumaraswamy will visit Dharmashala and Sringeri tomorrow to seek the blessings of Lord Manjunath, Sringeri Sharada Devi and the present Shankaracharya Sri Bharati Teertha, a release said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today confirmed his presence at the swearing-in ceremony of Kumaraswamy as Karnataka chief minister.

Chief ministers of non-BJP states and head of regional parties, including West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party Mayawati, are also expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

A Congress functionary said the swearing-in function will be short as only a few leaders from both sides are expected to take the oath of office. However, the full-fledged cabinet expansion will take place after Kumaraswamy wins the floor test he is expected to take within 24 hours after being sworn-in as the chief minister for the second time in 12 years.