Karnataka Polls LIVE: BJP Says Yeddyurappa Will Take Oath As CM Tomorrow At 9 Am

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala has invited BS Yeddyurappa to form the government in the state and gave the party 15 days to prove its majority, while the oath-taking ceremony will be  held at 9 am on Thursday, said BJP's Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday night. 

The BJP Karnataka also confirmed that party leader Yeddyurappa will be sworn in as chief minister on Thursday at 9am.

In a tweet, it said: "The moment that crores of Kannadigas are awaiting is here. Sri @BSYBJP will take oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka tomorrow morning at 9.00 AM at Raj Bhavan. The movement to build our Suvarna Karnataka has started."

Interestingly,  earlier the BJP Karnataka had deleted it tweet announcing Yeddyurappa’s swearing-in as the CM on Thursday at 9.30 am. Here's the screenshot of the tweet:

Also, party spokesman Suresh Kumar claimed on Wednesday Yeddyurappa would be sworn in as chief minister on Thursday.

"BS Yeddyurappa will take oath as chief minister at 9.30 am at Raj Bhavan tomorrow. Let us all gather on this happy occasion," Kumar said in a tweet in Kannada.

There was, however, no official communique from Raj Bhavan.

Earlier, amid allegations and counter-allegations of horse-trading and poaching of MLAs, a busload od Congress MLAs met the governor to stake claim to form government in a post-poll alliance with the JD(S).  Yeddyurappa visited the governor in the morning on Wednesday and said he is hopeful that the BJP will form the government.

The BJP, although having a majority at 104 seats does not have enough numbers to form government single handedly.  The Congress, emerging as the second-largest party with 78 seats, is trying to stake claim by forging an alliance with the JD(S) which bagged 37 seats, and two independent MLAs.  Halfway-mark is 112 seats in the 222 seats Assembly. 

The Congress asserted that the governor has no option but to invite the JD(S)-Congress combine which has a "clear majority" to form the government in the state, based on constitutional and legal provisions. The BJP rejected what it called the "backdoor entry" of the Congress to form government in the state, while the latter said it is a constitutional right, going by the precedents in Goa and Manipur. 

• A BJP lawmaker on Wednesday evening said Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala will invite the party to form the next government in the state.

• Congress MLAs to leave for Raj Bhavan from Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office.
• Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of encouraging horse-trading.
• No question of asking for anything (on reports that he wants to be Deputy CM). Our priority right now is to have a secular government. All the 78 MLAs are together: DK Shivkumar, Congress.
• All the MLAs are intact. Some of the MLAs came late because they came in a special flight from Bidar: G Parameshwara, Congress on 12 Congress MLAs not present in the legislative meeting at Karnataka Party Congress Committee office in Bengaluru
• Rs 100 crore figure is not only imaginary but it is what Congress-JDS do politics through. We are going by rules,we have submitted our claim to the Governor, are confident of forming the govt: Prakash Javadekar,Karnataka BJP In-charge on HD Kumaraswamy's horse-trading allegations
• Who is Javadekar? Who is that gentleman?: HD Kumaraswamy, on being asked if he had met BJP Karnataka in-charge Prakash Javadekar.
• Forget 'Operation Kamal' being successful, there are people who are ready to leave BJP&come with us. If you try to poach one from ours, we'll do the same & take double from you. I'm also telling the Governor to not take any decision which encourages horse-trading: HD Kumaraswamy
• "I have been offered from both sides. I am not saying this loosely. There's a black spot on my father's career because of my decision to go with the BJP in 2004 & 2005. So God has given me opportunity to remove this black spot. So I am going with Congress," said HD Kuamaraswamy, JD(S)
• JD(S) MLAs are being offered Rs 100 crore each. Where is this black money coming from? They are supposedly the servers of poor people and they are offering money today. Where are the income tax officials?: HD Kumaraswamy, JD(S)
• HD Kumaraswamy chosen as legislative party leader in a meeting of the JD(S) MLAs in Bengaluru.
• BJP's Yeddyurappa met the governor today and staked claim to form government. 

"The party has chosen me. I have given the letter to the Governor & he will call me, that is what I am hoping. He told me that he will take an appropriate decision. I'll inform you after I receive letter from Governor," he said.

• The JD(S) which has accepted an alliance with the Congress party asserted they will form the government and Kumaraswamy will become the Chief Minister. 

"HD Kumaraswamy will be the CM & there'll be a coalition govt. That is the only truth. People want him to be the CM. These kind of mechanistion will happen in a but the fact is that HD Kumaraswamy will be CM. We won't be influenced by anyone," A Manjunath, JD(S) said. 

• Only 66 out of the 78 MLAs reached for Congress legislative meeting at Karnataka Party Congress Committee office in Bengaluru, sparking allegations of poaching by the BJP.
• Earlier, two of JD(S)' MLAs- Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and Venkata Rao Nadagouda-were missing from the JD(S) legislative party meeting which is going on in a hotel in Bengaluru. 

MB Patil from Congress had refuted the report, saying there are in fact 6 BJP MLAs who are in touch with the Congress party. 

• The Congress and the JD(S) have alleged poaching by the BJP, that emerged as the single largest party in Karnataka elections, but just short of the magic figure.

"They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, we know that. Everyday there is a lot of pressure. But it not so easy because two parties have the necessary number. People are watching this," DK Shivakumar, Congress said. The Congress party is finding ways to safeguard its MLAs, the party leader further said.

 The Congress said all MLAs of the party are "intact" despite BJP's alleged attempts at horse trading.

• "All the Congress MLAs are intact. Nobody is missing. We are confident of forming the government, " outgoing Chief Minister  Siddaramaiah said after reaching the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office for party legislative meeting.

• "JD(S) has all the faith in their MLAs. Nobody is going to go away. Let BJP try, whatever they want to," Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad said. 

  • The JD(S) has alleged the BJP is trying to break its alliance with the Congress by "offering something" to thier MLAs. 

  "I don't know what they (BJP) are offering but they are trying to call our people, but they are not responding. We are all together, no one can touch our party. Our party MLAs are loyal to the party," Saravana, JD(S) said. 

  (Inputs from agencies)