Karnataka government formation: Kumaraswamy is expected to take oath on Wednesday.
HD Kumaraswamy, the Chief Minister-designate of the Congress-JDS alliance in Karnataka, met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi this evening. Mr Kumaraswamy is expected to take oath on Wednesday.
The Congress, which won 78 seats in comparison to Mr Kumaraswamy's party's 38, will get the lion's share of the ministries.
Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala invited the BJP, the single largest party with 104 seats, to form the government though the JD(S)- Congress combine that commanded a majority, had staked claim to form government. The two parties later approached the court against the Governor's invite to BS Yeddyurappa. JD(S)-Congress combine were only allowed to form the government after Mr Yeddyurappa resigned for want of majority, ahead of the trust vote on Saturday.
Here are the highlights Karnataka government formation:
Rahul Gandhi says he will attend Mr Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The Congress president tweeted after meeting the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) leader: I had a warm and cordial meeting this evening, in Delhi, with Shri H D Kumaraswamy ji. We discussed the political situation in Karnataka and other matters of mutual interest. I will be attending his swearing in as CM of Karnataka, on Wednesday, in Bengaluru.
"I wanted to show my respect regards to the Gandhi family. That's why I came here. I requested them for their presence in the oath taking ceremony. Both of them agreed to be present at the oath taking ceremony," says HD Kumaraswamy.
HD Kumaraswamy to NDTV's Sunil Prabhu:
- I will provide a stable government
- Regarding two deputy chief ministers , I can only revert after speaking with the Congress leadership.
- We will sort out our issues
- They have promised to support me
- I will take a decision on whether I will be sworn in alone or with the entire cabinet after my discussion with the Congress leadership
Karnataka Chief Minister-designate HD Kumaraswamy with Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Danish Ali of the Janata Dal Secular (JDS) in Delhi.
HD Kumaraswamy meeting Mayawati.
Anand Sharma on Karnataka:- What they (BJP) have done during and after the polls is shameful. They should apologise to the people of Karnataka.
- May be Amit Shah is not aware about the law and the constitution. They were trying to poach MLAs
Congress leader Anand Sharma is addressing the media now. HD Kumaraswamy will meet Rahul Gandhi at 7 pm. He is headed to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati's home to meet her.
HD Kumaraswamy lands in Delhi.
BJP chief Amit Shah:
- We had claimed the government as the mandate was anti-Congress
- What can Mamata Banerjee do alone in the lok sabha elections, or what can Rahul Gandhi do in Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections alone?
Amit Shah attacks Congress and JDS:
Congress should answer exactly what are they celebrating. Even the JDS, what are they celebrating? Today, I want to tell the people that in the Karnataka polls, the Congress violated all boundaries.
Amit Shah: A lot of people are saying that even without the majority, why did the BJP government claim power in Karnataka. So what are they saying? Did they expect to have another polls?
"Almost 3,700 farmers have committed suicide in Karnataka in the past 5 years. This was one of our main agenda. The centre helped a lot for the development of Karnataka," BJP chief Amit Shah says during a press conference in Delhi.
Amit Shah: I want to thank the crores of workers of the BJP in Karnataka for going from house to house to make the people understand the point of view of the BJP. It is because of them that we emerged as the single largest party
Amit Shah: I want to thank the crores of workers of the BJP in Karnataka for going from house to house to make the people understand the point of view of the BJP. It is because of them that we emerged as the single largest party
BJP chief Amit Shah is addressing the media.
Both the parties are drawing up a detailed Common Minimum Programme to chalk out a governance roadmap. A committee will also be formed that would steer the alliance.
The Congress and the JD(S) lawmakers will be confined to their hotels till the trust vote. The Congress legislators are at Bengaluru's Hilton and Embassy Golf Links under the care of senior party leader DK Shivakumar. The lawmakers of the JD(S) are at the Prestige Resorts in Devanahalli in the outskirts of Bengaluru.
Mr Kumaraswamy is likely to be take oath alone. The floor test is expected to follow within 24 hours. The rest of his cabinet are likely to be sworn in after the trust vote, Congress leader DK Shivakumar has said.
State Congress chief G Parameswara is among those named as likely candidates for the post. But there is a proposal that two Deputy Chief Minister posts be allowed to strike a balance between the two parties.
Under the last-minute deal between the Congress and the JD(S) on the day of counting of votes, the JD(S) will have the post of the Chief Minister and the Congress of the Deputy Chief Minister.
Kumaraswamy is expected to reach Delhi at around 4.30: JD(S) sources Mr Kumaraswamy is now expected to land at around 4.30 pm in Delhi. From airport, the JD(S) leader will head straight to 10 Janpath to meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, JD(S) told NDTV.
Following the meeting, Mr Kumaraswamy will meet BSP chief Mayawati.
"The BJP offered me Minister post and all, it's a fact. I don't know about Hebbar (Congress MLA Shivaram Hebbar who reportedly claimed that Congress lied about bribe tape), I can talk about myself. BS Yeddyurappa, Sriramulu and Muralidhar Rao spoke to me," says Congress lawmajer BC Patil
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to attend oath taking ceremony of HD Kumaraswamy on May 23. Mr Kejriwal was invited by former Prime Minister and Mr Kumaraswamy's father HD Deve Gowda.
Kumaraswamy offered prayers at Lakshmi Narasimha Temple in Hassan
"Kumaraswamy is coming to Delhi as a courtesy call by Congress leaders
He will take oath on Wednesday, 23rd May at 4:30 pm," JD(S) leader Danish Ali was quoted by ANI.
Karnataka Congress leaders -- former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, State Congress President G Parameshwara and senior leader D K Shivakumar -- will also meet the party high command in Delhi today to discuss the modalities related to government formation in the state with JD(S).
The Congress had offered Mr Kumaraswamy's party, the JD(S), unconditional support when the two parties entered into a last-minute partnership during the counting of votes on Tuesday to keep the BJP out of power.
Mr Kumaraswamy has said the Chief Minister's post will not be shared between him and the Congress -- a rotational deal that had soured his tie-up with the BJP in 2007.
In 2007, the BJP-JDS alliance had collapsed after 20 months. The northern party alleged that Mr Kumaraswamy had failed to honour the power-sharing agreement and step down to make way for a BJP Chief Minister.
The Congress, which won 78 seats in comparison to Mr Kumaraswamy's party's 38, will get the lion's share of the ministries.
The party will be allowed to name the Deputy Chief Minister, a post that's likely to be filled by G Parameshwar, the chief of the state unit of the Congress. Some in the JD(S) don't rule out the possibility of two Deputy Chief Ministers to strike a balance between the two parties.
The Congress and the JD(S) have finalised the details of power sharing. Sources indicated that both sides agreed to constitute a coalition coordination committee and to draw a common minimum programme.