Karnataka BJP chief and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said he would form government in the state "within 24 hours" if the party wins 22 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "If the people of Karnataka give us 22 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, we will form the government in Karnataka within 24 hours," ANI quoted him as saying on Monday. Click for more election stories Karnataka, scheduled to vote on April 18, sends 28 legislators to the Lok Sabha. Earlier this month, the BJP leader stoked a controversy when he said the Indian Air Force strike in Pakistan's Balakot in the wake of the February 14 Pulwama attack would help the BJP win 22 seats in Karnataka. Following criticism from Opposition leaders, including Chief Minister H.D Kumaraswamy, Yeddyurappa said his words were taken out of context. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the Karnataka Assembly elections last year but fell short of the halfway mark. The Congress, which finished second, swiftly moved to extend support to the JD(S) which staked claim to form the government, and HD Kumaraswamy was sworn in as chief minister. The post-poll alliance between the Congress and the JD(S) became a talking point for a grand alliance of Opposition parties for this year's Lok Sabha elections.
