Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018

We could not get a clear mandate for the Congress. It was Rahul Gandhi who triggered this entire operation. He gave a direction: plan A, B and C: DK Shivakumar.

The eminent jurist talks to Kaunain Sheriff M on SC’s role in Karnataka crisis and Opposition’s bid to impeach CJI Dipak Misra.

Congress leader D K Shivakumar, who spearheaded the effort to sequester MLAs in resorts and hotels, said at least 40 MLAs admitted to receiving calls.

While Kumaraswamy was originally scheduled to be sworn in on May 21, the JD(S) decided to postpone the oath-taking ceremony to May 23 on the request of the Congress party, which will observe former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary on Monday.

DK Shivakumar indicated that though the future of the alliance in Karnataka was fraught with challenges, both parties would work together to keep the BJP at bay, with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

A section of the media reported that the coalition partners have struck an agreement by the virtue of which, leaders from both the parties shall be able to occupy the CM's designation in the state on a rotational period of thirty months each.

"What happened in Karnataka yesterday was a win for democracy. BJP asking for some more time and Governor giving 15 days time was a mockery of democracy. I would like to thank Supreme Court for its order, which upheld the democracy," Rajinikanth said.

JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy met Governor Vajubhai Vala and staked claim to form the government. He also said that his oath-taking ceremony will take place on Monday, May 21, but the date was later shifted as it coincided with the death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Congress leader in conversation with The Indian Express: Once the Governor issued a letter at 9.30 pm and within 30 seconds thereafter B S Yeddyurappa announced that he would take oath at 9.30 the next morning... So the BJP actually helped our cause.

The Supreme Court rejected Saturday an attempt by the Congress-JD(S) to stall the appointment of K G Bopaiah as pro tem Speaker in Karnataka for B S Yeddyurappa’s floor test, which he did not face.

The Karnataka failure underlines a limitation of the BJP that is easy to overlook in its much-hyped reputation of turning defeat into victories in successive states.

Apart from stopping the BJP juggernaut, parties such as the BSP, Samajwadi Party, TDP and Trinamool Congress see the Congress willingness to pay second fiddle to the JD(S) in the state as a positive development on way to 2019.

The JD(S) and the Congress have been in a coalition on one occasion, in 2005 after the 2004 polls threw up a hung verdict with the JD(S) winning 58 seats, the Congress 65 and the BJP 79.

Rahul Gandhi met Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot and K C Venugopal — the AICC minder for Karnataka — on the morning of May 14, a day before counting. It was decided that the party should unconditionally offer its support to the JD(S) if it falls well short of the half-way mark.

The BJP president expressed confidence that the public will vote against the “impious” alliance in the next elections in Karnataka.

Among the “mistakes” the party made after it emerged with the highest tally of 104 was “the haste” with which it decided to approach the Governor seeking invitation to form the government.

Indicating that the Congress would try to rally the Opposition together, he said: “We are going to work with the Opposition to defeat the BJP... the Opposition will together, in coordination with each other, defeat the BJP.”

While the Congress was all smiles by the afternoon of Saturday, behind it lay many anxious moments, particularly over “missing” legislators.

With the results weakening the position of outgoing chief minister Siddaramaiah, and with an aggressive BJP on the hunt, the Congress had turned to Shivakumar to keep the party afloat as it pushed for an alliance with the JD(S).