BJP stakes claim to form Karnataka govt; Yeddy to take oath as CM at 6 pm

The development came after the 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy collapsed on Tuesday after losing the vote of confidence in the Assembly

BS Web Team 

Modi and Yedyurappa
PM Narendra Modi with BS Yeddyurappa | Photo: PTI

BJP President met Governor Vajubhai Vala today to stake claim to form the government in the state, and request him to administer oath.

"I have requested Governor to administer me oath between 6-6.15 pm as the Chief Minister, the Governor has agreed and given me a letter," Yeddyurappa told reporters after meeting the Governor at Raj Bhavan here.

Stating that he will take oath by that time, he said, "who all are to be inducted (in the ministry), I will discuss with our president and inform."

Yeddyurappa said he will also be sending a letter of invitation to outgoing Chief Minister and Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah for the swearing-in ceremony.

"I will also try to contact Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah over phone, to invite them personally," he added.

Yeddyurappa for the last couple of days had been waiting for "instructions" from the party high command to stake claim to form the government after the Congress-JDS coalition government had collapsed after the floor test on Tuesday.

The development came after the 14-month-old Congress-JDS coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy collapsed on Tuesday after losing the vote of confidence in the Assembly in a climax to the three-week long intense power struggle.

Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Thursday had disqualified three rebel Congress MLAs under the anti-defection law.

The H D Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) government fell on Tuesday after it secured only 99 votes against the BJP’s 105 in the Assembly.

This brought an end to the 12-day high-voltage political drama which had begun in the state with the resignation of over a dozen JD(S) and Congress MLAs who alleged lack of stability in the coalition to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar.

A group of Karnataka BJP leaders, including Jagdish Shettar, Arvind Limbavali, J C Madhuswamy, Basavaraj Bommai and Yeddyurappa's son Vijayendra Thursday had met party chief Amit Shah in New Delhi and reportedly discussed the government formation.

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First Published: Fri, July 26 2019. 10:51 IST