BJP, JD-S stake claim to form Karnataka govt

The government in Karnataka is most likely to continue from where it left of with both the Janata Dal-Secular and the Bharatiya Janata Party handing over letters to the governor, expressing their wish to form the government.

The JD-S, which had initially refused to handover power to the BJP, on Saturday decided that it would support them in the formation of the government.

The JD-S in its letter to Governor of Karnataka Rameshwar Thakur said that it intended entering into an alliance with the BJP and forming the government.

The JD-S has 56 seats in the 226-member House in Karnataka.

Shortly after the JD-S handed over the letter, the BJP which is the single largest party in Karnataka with 79 seats too met with the governor.

The BJP sought an invitation from the governor to form the government. If the JD-S-BJP deal comes through with the governor causing no problems, then B S Yediyurappa will take charge as the first BJP chief minister in Karnataka and also south India.

As per the agreement, the BJP will have its chief minister, while the JD-S gets to choose its candidate for the post of deputy chief minister.

Although former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy was being pitched for the post of Dy CM, in all probability, the JD-S may make Meerajudin Patel the Dy CM.

The ball is now in the governor's court over whom he will have to invite as the single largest party to form the government.

The governor had recommended the imposition of President's rule three weeks back after none of the parties in the state were able to form the government.

The JD-S, which was to handover power to the BJP in accordance with their 20-month power-sharing pact, backed out at the last minute.

Following this, the BJP went ahead and withdrew support from the government.

During the interim period of almost three weeks, the BJP had said that it would face the elections and had even started a campaign in which it mentioned how it had been ditched by the JD-S.

The Congress and the JD-S made several attempts to form the government, but talks always ran into troubled waters.

Kumaraswamy even went up to the extent of accusing the Congress of trying to split the JD-S.

In the midst of the drama, M P Prakash made a last ditch effort to truck with the Congress and had gone to Delhi to hold talks with the senior leaders.

However, he too returned empty handed, following which he decided to go ahead with Kumaraswamy and support the BJP.

Meanwhile sources in the JD-S said that Kumaraswamy is happiest with this pact.

His close associates say that the former CM was depressed about not handing over power as he felt that his image had taken a beating.