Congress and JDS leaders today met Governor Vajubhai Vala and staked claim to form a JDS-led government in Karnataka.
Leaders of both the parties including outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjuna Kharge along with JD(S) state Chief H D Kumaraswamy met Vala and submitted a letter seeking an opportunity to form the government.
"All India Congress party leaders after discussion have given a letter to our party president extending support ....on behalf our party, along with Congress leaders we have asked governor seeking an opportunity to form the government with the support of Congress, also two independent MLAs," Kumaraswamy said after meeting the governor.
The JDS leader said the governor told them that he would take a decision after getting official communication about the poll results from the EC.
In a dramatic twist, the Congress today offered support to the JDS-led by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda to form a government, as the assembly polls threw up a hung verdict.
Countering the Congress-JD(S ) move to form the government, state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa also met Vala and staked claim to form the government.
Responding to a question about BJP resorting to "operation Lotus" , Kumaraswamy said "...they may try to do it this time also, hoping to succeed."
'Operation Lotus' refers to the BJP's move during Yeddyurappa's tenure as chief minister to make MLAs of other parties resign and contest the elections and win again as the candidate of the saffron party.
Yeddyurappa's move to meet the governor came soon after Kumaraswamy wrote to the governor informing him about his decision to accept the Congress' support extended to his party to form the government, and sought an appointment.
Siddaramaiah said, according to results declared so far, "our numbers are more, and we have brought to the notice of the governor, and we are sure he will take decisions within the framework of law after getting the official communication from the Election Commission."
He said "BJP's antecedents are that they have tried "operation lotus" in the past and have succeeded."
"This time also they will try, but will not succeed," he said.
KPCC chief G Parameshwara said modalities related to government formation would be discussed later.
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