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BJP stakes its claim

BANGALORE: With five Independent candidates extending support to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has a strength of 110 in the 224-member Karnataka Legislative Assembly, leader of the BJP Legislature Party B.S. Yeddyurappa met Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Monday night and staked claim to form the government.

The BJP leaders, who presented the five MLAs before the Governor along with their letters of support, have requested him to schedule the swearing-in ceremony for Wednesday.

Party national general secretary Arun Jaitley told reporters that the party had also requested the Governor to forward the recommendation regarding revoking President’s rule in the State at the earliest so that the process of government formation could be taken up.

Earlier in the day, a meeting of the BJP Legislature Party unanimously elected Mr. Yeddyurappa as its leader.

After several rounds of consultations, the BJP, which had been short of a majority by three seats, managed to get the support of the Independents. They comprised three rebels from the Congress and a rebel each from the BJP and Janata Dal (S). The Independents are: Shivaraj Thangadagi, Gulahatti Shekhar, P.M. Narendraswamy, Sudhakar and Venkataramanappa. Six Independents won the elections.

Interestingly, BJP legislators and mine owners Janardhan Reddy and Karunakar Reddy were present during the talks with some of the Independents held at a posh hotel in the city. Mr. Reddy and the former Minister, B. Sriramulu, also accompanied the Independents to the Raj Bhavan.

Legal experts say that even a nominated Anglo Indian MLA can participate in the floor test in the Assembly. An Anglo Indian member is nominated while 224 members are elected. This will further increase the BJP’s strength in the Assembly as it will have to nominate such a member as MLA, after forming the government.

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