Bengaluru: Ending the agonising wait for a new government, which started soon after the counting of votes on May 15, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Wednesday invited BJP legislature party leader and former Chief Minister B.S.Yeddyurappa to form the government and prove his majority within 15 days.
The Governor’s letter came after two days of intense lobbying for power amid allegations by the Congress that the BJP was resorting to bribery and horse-trading to muster the required numbers.
Party president Amit Shah has reportedly assured Mr Yeddyurappa that he will be able to prove his majority within the scheduled time.
The BJP has secured 104 seats in the 224-member House while the Congress won 78 and the JD(S) 38 seats.
In a hurried bid to prevent the BJP from grabbing power, the Congress and JD(S) patched together a coalition which had a total strength of 117 MLAs including an Independent.
Coalition leaders including the CM nominee and JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy met the Governor twice in the past two days and cited precedents including that of Goa where the single largest party — Congress — was not invited to form the government.
Meanwhile, Mr Yeddyurappa was elected as leader of the BJP Legislature party and Mr Kumaraswamy was chosen to head the JD(S) legislature party. Mr Kumaraswamy targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the horse-trading in Karnataka.
He claimed his party and Congress legislators were being offered Rs 100 crore and other benefits to switch loyalties to the BJP.
