JDS-BJP parade MLAs before President

Karnataka8217;s BJP-JDS combine, on Tuesday, paraded its 128 MLAs before the President of India and sought her intervention to form a 8220;popular government8221; in the state. Leaders of the alliance said the Congress was trying to stall the formation of the Government through 8220;dirty tricks8221;. They accused the Karnataka Governor of acting partisan by delaying a decision on government formation.

8220;It is highly intriguing that the Hon8217;ble Governor, who made a public statement in Delhi on 24th October, 2007, stating that nobody has come forward to form the Government and his priority would be to install a popular government, has so far not moved in this direction despite the BJP and the JDS combine presenting all its MLAs before him,8221; said the memorandum, submitted by the delegation led by BJP leaders N Venkaiah Naidu, Ravishanker Prasad, aspirant for the chief minister8217;s post B S Yeddyurappa and JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy.

After meeting the President, Kumarasway said JDS support to the BJP was 8220;unconditional8221;. He also hoped that the President would take immediate action to install a 8220;popular government.8221;

Naidu lambasted the Congress and said it was a 8220;well-settled constitutional norm to permit the popularly elected Assembly to complete its five year tenure unless it becomes otherwise not possible to run the state in accordance with the Constitution8221;.