Cong seeks appointment with Prez over Karnataka issue

The Congress has sought an appointment with President Ram Nath Kovind on behalf of like-minded opposition parties to appraise him about the Karnataka Governor inviting the BJP to form government in the state even though there was a split verdict in the Assembly election.

A Congress source said though the party has sought an appointment with Kovind tomorrow, they are likely to meet him next week in the view of the floor test be held in Karnataka Assembly tomorrow, as ordered by the Supreme Court, to ascertain whether newly appointed BJP Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa enjoys majority in the state.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala had given the BJP 15 days' time to prove its majority. The Congress and the JD(S) had moved the Supreme Court against the decision of Governor Vala to invite Yeddyurappa to form government in Karnataka.

According to sources, all like-minded opposition parties are seeking to highlight to the president the Karnataka Governor move of inviting the BJP to form the government even though the saffron party does not have the required numbers.

The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats in Karnataka Assembly, was invited by Governor Vala to form the government despite the JD(S)-Congress combine staking claim by citing the support of 117 MLAs.

The majority mark is 112 seats. Elections were held for all but two of the 224 seats. B S Yeddyurappa took oath as chief minister in Bengaluru yesterday.

The parties, including the RJD, want to highlight to the President that different rules are being cited in different states over government formation.

They say that even though the RJD is the single largest party in Bihar, its case was not considered by the governor. Similar situations have arisen in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Congress MLAs are also seeking to meet the respective governors and stake their claim to form government in states where they are the single largest party.