The Hindu : Front Page : JD(S), BJP to present MLAs before Governor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 29, 2007
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JD(S), BJP to present MLAs before Governor

S. Rajendran and B.S. Satish Kumar

Thakur urged to invite BJP to form government

KEEPING THE FLOCK TOGETHER: Janata Dal(S) legislators led by the former Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, shifting to a resort near Bangalore on Sunday. - PHOTO: SAMPATH KUMAR

Bangalore: Leaders of political parties in Karnataka made a beeline for the Raj Bhavan here all through Sunday. In particular, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, who is also in charge of the party’s affairs in the State, Yashwant Sinha, called on Governor Rameshwar Thakur and urged him to invite the BJP, which enjoys the support of the Janata Dal (Secular), to form a government. And the Congress leaders, including KPCC president M. Mallikarjun Kharge, told the Governor that dissolution of the Legislative Assembly was a must at the present juncture in the light of the changing stance of the BJP and the JD (S).

The JD(S) and the BJP have decided to present their legislators before the Governor on Monday although there has been no such request from the latter. The two parties have also collected a sworn affidavit from each of their MLAs to submit them to the Governor, if need be. They claimed that they enjoyed the support of 125 legislators in the 224-member Assembly. The JD (S) legislators, under the leadership of the former Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, have shifted out to a resort about 40 km from Bangalore.

Raj Bhavan sources remained tightlipped on the advice tendered by legal experts to the Governor which was obviously based on observations of the Supreme Court in the S.R. Bommai (1994) and the Nitish Kumar cases (2005) in relation to Article 356 of the Constitution.

Mr. Thakur is said to have apprised President Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil of the developments.

(A PTI report quoted Mr. Thakur as saying he was yet to take a decision on government formation. “I am in the process of consulting legal and constitutional experts. After taking a decision, I will inform you [media],” he said.)

Meanwhile, the former Deputy Chief Minister, M.P. Prakash, told The Hindu that irrespective of the pressure being exerted on him, he and his group of legislators were yet to finalise their stand. “I have been authorised by the Janata Dal (S) legislature party to strike an understanding with the Congress and “I am still pursuing it.”

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