Cong, JD(S) flay BSY move to form govt

The Congress and the JD(S) mounted an attack on the BJP as well as Raj Bhavan over BS Yediyurappa taking oath as chief minister on Friday.

The two parties questioned the basis on which a new government was being formed as the BJP did not have the majority in the Legislative Assembly.

The BJP currently has 105 members in a 224-member Assembly where the halfway mark is 113. However, the Congress-JD(S) coalition fell after losing the trust motion earlier this week, thanks to 20 MLAs abstaining that reduced the strength of the House on the day of voting.

Yediyurappa’s swearing-in ceremony Friday came as a deja vu for the coalition. The BJP leader was sworn-in under similar circumstances last year.

“Karnataka Assembly has become an experimental lab for BJP & BJP-backed Governor to try unconstitutional ways to form a government. In what article of the Constitution is the Governor allowed to permit the party to form a government that doesn't have a majority? It is a shame! (sic)” Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah said in a tweet.

“In no way the BJP can form the government if the constitution is followed. This only proves that the BJP has no belief in the democratic values,” Siddaramaiah said.

The JD(S) called it “one of the darkest days in the history of Karnataka” and that “democracy is dying a slow death because of BJP's unconstitutional practices.” JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, however, tweeted his congratulations to Yediyurappa on becoming the chief minister.

Siddaramaiah held meetings with Congress leaders and the party appears to have decided on strengthening its organisation for the next election, whenever it happens. Even the JD(S) has started to revitalize its organisation and grassroots presence.