The BJP secured 104 seats to emerge as the largest single party in the 224-member House, but fell short of majority. The Congress, with 78 seats and the JD(S) with 37 seats, have formed an alliance in a bid to keep the BJP out of power. The BJP now has 15 days to prove its majority on the floor of the House.
Yeddyurappa, 75, is a veteran of Karnataka politics. The leader became Karnataka's first BJP CM in 2007, when the party was in alliance with the JD(S). However, his tenure was short-lived and he quit days later. In 2008, he led the party to victory in the elections and was elected CM for a second time. But, again, he was forced to resign before the end of his term after being indicted in corruption cases. He quit the BJP after this and formed his own party, but the two merged ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
"BJP can't use two rules for 1 game. BJP, Central govt and their governors have been exposed in front of the nation. It should be the duty of central govt to protect the constitution & democracy but it's unfortunate that we have to protect these from the central govt," said Ghulam Nabi Azad.
"We have not yet decided where to go. Today late night we will decide where we have to go. There were several suggestions, one of them is to hold a protest in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan," said HD Kumaraswamy, JD(S)
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"After the police was withdrawn (from outside Eagleton Resort), they (BJP) came inside & offered money. Constantly they have been calling people on phone," Ramalinga Reddy, Congress
"All MLAs are in Bengaluru. BJP is accusing us of forgery while they are the ones who have done it. We have full faith in the Supreme Court. It will not repeat the same mistake as the Governor," said Ghulam Nabi Azad
Congress workers today staged a demonstration here against BJP for "showing scant respect" to the constitution by resorting to "mayhem" of democracy in Karnataka through the state governor. PWD minister and PCC president A Namassivayam alleged that the BJP had been using governors of states and Lt Governors of Union Territories as their agents to "wreck democracy and to execute their autocratic and anti-people decisions."
JD(S) MLAs will fly to Kochi tonight. Hotel not confirmed yet
"BJP people are doing horse-trading. This is unethical and against the principles of democracy. No MLA will yield to their demand," Siddaramaiah, Congress
"It's our responsibility to give security to our MLAs. I'm really suprised to see how Yeddyruppa is behaving. After taking oath he has already transferred 4 IPS officers. BJP's movement is laughable. All 38 MLAs are with me," HD Kumaraswamy.
"Those unemployed are looking for work. From time to time they keep looking for work like this. They've still not recovered from their loss. It's nonsense. We had proved majority in Bihar, why are they doing this after 8 months?" Mangal Pandey, BJP on RJD meeting Bihar Guv tomorrow
"There has been murder of democracy. Let us wait till tomorrow,we feel justice will be in favour of us. Already a chaos is happening throughout country. In Bihar, Goa, Manipur&other states where we were single largest party, they're asking for same formula," DK Shivakumar, Congress.
Whatever BJP's done in Karnataka is in accordance with rule book. Congress is ill informed and as a result is making these funny claims. They don't have faith on their MLAs as they have held them captive in a resort. JDS & Congress are scared after being exposed: Prakash Javadekar
Congress and JD(S) don't trust their own MLAs, in what room the MLAs have been kept are not known even to their own families, says Prakash Javadekar.
"We're seeking appointment from Guv for tomorrow. We were single-largest party and had immediately met Guv after results were announced but we weren't invited to form govt. Based on recent developments, if BJP can be given chance to form govt, why not us?" Okram Ibobi Singh, former Manipur CM
Prakash Javadekar says Congress is resorting to political drama. The party is waking up after 500 years.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar says the methods that Congress is using is not how democracy works. This is an act of pre-planned desperation.
"Would like to know from BJP and Bihar CM if the invitation to single-largest party in Karnataka is right or insulting public's mandate in Bihar by making post-poll alliance was right. If what they did in Karnataka is right then they must accept what they did in Bihar was wrong: Tejashwi Yadav, RJD
"This is not the system. Irrespective of whose govt it is, it is their duty to provide protection, provide security to the elected representatives," said KH Muniyappa, Congress on security withdrawn from outside Eagleton Resort near Bengaluru where Congress MLAs are lodged
Members and workers of Congress protest across the nation against Karnataka Governor for inviting BS Yeddyurappa to form govt there.
Former Manipur CM Okram Ibobi Singh and former Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma have sought time from respective Governors of the state for a meeting tomorrow.
Party has decided that we'll meet Guv at 1 pm tomorrow & demand that like BJP, the single largest party in Karnataka, was called to form the govt, similarly the current govt here be dissolved & the single largest party, RJD, be invited to form the govt: Tejashwi Yadav, RJD
"How will BJP prove majority? Amit Shah has only one formula, horse-trading or sending agencies like CBI & ED behind MLAs of other parties. It's dictatorship by BJP. If we aren't united today then it was Bihar y'day, Karnataka today, can be MP or Rajasthan tomorrow," said Tejashwi Yadav
Usually, people go to court to seek justice, but this is the first time in history that 4 senior judges of Supreme Court had to come out in open & request people for help as govt isn't letting them work: Rahul Gandhi, Congress in Bilaspur
'I am 100 per cent sure of the success,' Yeddyurappa said, striking a confident note on emerging victorious in the trial of strength in the assembly. 'I have people's support for me and my party,' said Yeddyurappa, who has now a tough task to muster the numbers to reach the half mark of 112.
"I am not going to wait till 15 days... I am keen to do it as soon as possible," he said in a press conference. Yeddyurappa also appealed to the legislators to vote according to their "conscience" and uphold the people's mandate.
The Congress-JD(S) combine today moved the Supreme Court against the decision of Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala to nominate an Anglo-Indian member to the assembly, saying it should not be done till the floor test in the House.
Vajubhai Vala had sacrificed his seat for Narendra Modi earlier, yesterday he sacrificed Constitution and democracy for him. He conducted 1st encounter of Constitution yesterday when he invited BJP to form govt. Today when he swore-in BS Yeddyurappa, he conducted its 2nd encounter: R Surjewala
BS Yeddyurappa is going to be the CM for a day, half of which has already gone by: Randeep Surjewala, Congress
(SourceL ANI)
A delegation of Goa Congress leaders led by its legislature party leader Babu Kavlekar will head to Raj Bhavan Friday morning and meet Governor Mridula Sinha staking claim to form government in the state. “Yes, we have an appointment with the Governor tomorrow morning. We will be going to meet her and stake claim to form the government,” Goa Congress president Girish Chodankar told IndianExpress.com, questioning how in Karnataka the same could be allowed.
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We would be holding a 1-day dharna tomorrow against the murder of democracy in Karnataka. We also request the Bihar Governor to dissolve the state government and like in Karnataka invite the single largest party, which in Bihar is the RJD: Tejashwi Yadav, RJD
The DMK, a key southern ally of the Congress, on Thursday termed Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's invite to the BJP to form government "hasty" and "unconstitutional". The party also alleged that it would lead to horse-trading. DMK Working President MK Stalin tweeted: "The Karnataka Governor's hasty invitation to the BJP to form Government despite the majority of MLAs forming a post-poll alliance of INC-JD(S)-BSP is arbitrary & unconstitutional. Such a move will only serve to enable horse-trading and destroy our democratic foundations."
"Mr Yedyurappa's letter to the Governor will seal his fate. There is no mention of a number bigger than 104. The Governor's invitation does not mention any number at all!" he tweeted.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram today said the fate of Karnataka's new Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is sealed in his letter given to Governor Vajubhai Vala as it makes no mention of a number bigger than the 104 MLAs of the BJP. His comment came after the Supreme Court said government formation in the state would be subject to the final outcome of the case before it.
Reacting to BJP's BS Yeddyurappa being sworn-in as Karnataka CM, BSP supremo Mayawati said since BJP came to power in the Centre, they have been misusing government machinery and therebt attacking democracy. "It is a conspiracy to destroy the constitution made by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, since they (BJP) came to power they have been misusing government machinery, thereby attacking democracy," ANI quoted Mayawati as saying. BSP contested the elections in alliance with JD(S) and won a seat after 25 years in Karnataka. Mahesh has been elected from Kollegal constituency in Chamarajanagar district.
Meanwhile, senior lawyer and jurist Ram Jethmalani on Thursday moved the Supreme Court in his personal capacity against the Karnataka governor's decision to invite the BJP to form government in the state, saying it was a "gross abuse of constitutional power". A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra considered the submission of Jethmalani seeking urgent hearing and said that a three-judge special bench, which had heard the matter in the early hours, would re-assemble on Friday. "The governor's order is a gross abuse of the constitutional power and this has brought disrepute to the constitutional office he has been holding," Jethmalani submitted while seeking nod to submit his views in the case. He said that he has not come before the court in favour or against any party but has been hurt over the unconstitutional decision taken by the governor.
BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, who has been critical of his party on most issues, on Thursday questioned the party's decision to form a government in Karnataka without required majority and said politics of "Dhan-shakti over Jan-shakti" was neither acceptable nor desirable. In a series of tweets, the Patna Sahib MP, said the post-poll alliance of Congress and JD(S) should be given a chance in the southern state as the two have the majority number. "There is a saying you cannot fool all the people all the time to win/gain anyhow by hook or crook and a moreover the same is not advisable too, Sinha tweeted. "What is right for Peter should be right for Paul too. What is right for Meghalaya, Manipur and Goa should be right for Karnataka too. God save Karnataka and democracy," Sinha said.
Yeddyurappa’s swearing-in as Karnataka’s chief minister, clearly without a majority in the legislative assembly, is not new for the BJP. In 1996, it was Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the stage was Delhi. The question is will Yeddyurappa meet with the same fate as that of Vajpayee, who had to resign in 13 days ahead of a non-confidence vote in the Parliament or will he survive the test. Read the full story here.
In an opinion piece in The Indian Express today, Shailaja Bajpai writes: TV news broadcast the latest developments in this stoop-to conquer battle — who could fall lower, you just had to know. TV news obliged: It’s been news, news and more news — when, last, did that happen on TV? How will this minute-by-minute tussle on live TV impact public opinion? Which political persuasion stands to gain from it? For those answers, we may have to wait until the 2019 Lok Sabha election results. Read the entire column here.
Bellary MLA Anand Singh, who was reportedly approached by the BJP on Wednesday, was later seen at the Congress office. He was then whisked off along with other MLAs to a resort just outside Bengaluru. Amid rumours that he's missing, Congress leader Veerappa Moily says Anand Singh is “safe”. Who is this MLA? Anand Singh — the Karnataka MLA who skipped the Congress meeting
"Democracy has been brazenly manipulated, mutilated and massacred in Karnataka. It does not augur well for the future of India. All eyes are now on the Supreme Court to come out in protection of the Constitutional ethos on which the very foundation of our nation rests," Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh tweets.
Union Minister Ravi Shakar Prasad says the Congress has a history of disrespecting the mandate of the people.
Twitter has released data for the last 48 hours and undoubtedly, Karnataka Governor Vala is among the most mentioned. His name has seen the quickest rise in mentions. Below is a quick look at the data shared by Twitter India.
An Editorial in The Indian Express today reads: That the BJP looks unbeatable today is not just because under Modi and Shah, it has built an impressive organisation and machine that plots and plans meticulously. The only hope of checking or reversing the BJP’s dominance, the best strategy of defeating the party, lies in “Opposition unity”. Full piece here.
What are the options available for the BJP now? The party, which has now formed the government, has 15 days to prove it has the numbers in the House. BJP sources tell The Indian Express that party does not have many options other than “breaking” either the JD(S) or Congress, or “influencing” some of their MPs to abstain during the trust vote on the floor of the House. Read: On table for BJP in Karnataka: Abstentions by MLAs, rehabilitation as MLCs
In pictures | Karnataka gets a new Chief Minister
There are so many reactions — positive and negative — coming in, in response to the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa this morning. While Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has said BJP is killing all institutions of democracy, the DMK has called it "arbitrary and unconstitutional". BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, weighing in, says it's a prelude to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. For more reactions, click here.
Amit Shah tweets, "Congrats to Shri @BSYBJP ji for being sworn in as the CM of Karnataka. This is the victory of every Kannadiga who voted to uproot the corrupt & divisive politics of Congress. I am sure the new govt under the guidance of PM @narendramodi will fulfil the aspirations of the people."
The protest outside the Karnataka Assembly seems to be drawing to a close, as MLAs begin leaving the Vidhana Soudha to return to their resorts. Congress leader D K Shivakumar, meanwhile, says, "No MLAs can slip out. Our house is in order. Our numbers are safe. We will come back."
DMK Working President MK Stalin calls the Governor's decision to invite the BJP to form the government "arbitrary" and "unconstitutional". He says constitutional institutions and principles are under threat.
Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, in an address in Raipur, says there is an atmosphere of fear in the country. In the wake of the recent developments in Karnataka, he adds that the Constitution is under severe attack.
(Source: Twitter/@INCIndia)
Yeddyurappa says that he was sworn in in the name of farmers. He says it is now the party's responsibility to ensure Karnataka progresses. He thanks all BJP activists and leaders who worked to bring the party to power in the state. He mentions Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.
Addressing the press, Yeddyurappa says he will prove majority on the floor of the House soon. 'I have been given 15 days, but I won't take so long. I will prove the majority in the floor of the House soon,' he tells the press. Meanwhile, the Congress and JD(S) continue to protest outside the Karnataka Assembly. Deve Gowda, former prime minister and JD(S) leader, has joined the protest as well. H D Kumaraswamy is also present. According to our reporter on ground, anti-BJP slogans are being raised at the protest venue.
(Express Photo/Manoj Kumar)
Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani Thursday moved the apex court in his personal capacity against the decision of the Karnataka Governor inviting BJP to form government. A bench headed by CJI Dipak Misra asked Jethmalani to mention his plea Friday before the bench concerned. Governor's order is a "gross abuse" of Constitutional power, Jethmalani told the Supreme Court.
In his first remarks as Chief Minister, B S Yeddyurappa says, "Despite being rejected by the people, Congress and JD(S) have formed an unholy alliance. People will not accept this." He also expresses confidence of winning the floor test. "I am sure MLAs will vote according to conscience, '' he adds.
(Image Source: PTI)
Yeddyurappa reached Vidhana Soudha (Karnataka Assembly). He holds meeting with chief secretary Ratna Prabha to decide on the first steps of his one-man cabinet including farm loan waiver to the tune of RS one lakh from all banks. As The Indian Express reported, BSY is likely to take charge of the state as a one man cabinet. He is likely to announce that the government is waiving all farmer loans up to Rs one lakh as promised in the BJP manifesto.
BJP chief Amit Shah targets the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi. He says the legacy of the party is the "horrific Emergency, blatant misuse of Article 356, subverting the courts, media and civil society". Hours after B S Yeddyurappa is sworn in, he adds that the people of Karnataka voted for the BJP. "The ‘Murder of Democracy’ happens the minute a desperate Congress made an ‘opportunist’ offer to the JD(S), not for Karnataka’s welfare but for their petty political gains. Shameful!"
H D Deve Gowda, former prime minister, meanwhile, is en route Shangri-La Hotel, where JD(S) MLAs are lodged.
BJP leader Yashwant Sinha says the events in Karnataka are a rehearsal for what will happen after the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi.
The Aam Aadmi Party, from its official Twitter handle, comments on the developments in Karnataka. The party compares the role of the Karnataka Governor to what the Lieutenant Governor is doing in Delhi — "both are playing with Constitutional values".