Cong-JD(S) combine registers token protest against BJP, Guv

Soon after B S Yeddyurappa was sworn in as Karnataka's chief minister, the Congress and JD(S) leaders came together to register their protest against the BJP and Governor Vajubhai Vala (for allowing the BJP to form the government in the state) in front of the Gandhi statue in Vidhana Soudha on Thursday.

Congress leaders led by former chief minister Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara, Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal, Ghulam Nabi Azad were the first arrive at the protest site by around 9.45 am. Congress MLA elects, who were housed in a resort on Wednesday night, too participated in the protest.

They were shortly joined by JD(S) MLA elects, led by the party leadership H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy. The elected representatives who were kept together at a private hotel in the city were herded to Vidhana Soudha by bus.

The leaders of the two parties who have staked claim to form the government raised slogans against the BJP and Vala. They charged that Vala was BJP's "agent".

Both parties have accused that the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has indulged in horse trading.

While Kumaraswamy charged that Vijayanagara MLA elects Anand Singh was threatened to rejoin the BJP, KPCC president G Parameshwara accused that the saffron party had also poached Congress's Maski MLA elect Pratap Gouda Patil.

Both MLA elects were conspicuous in their absence during the protest.

The parties however suspended their protest by around 12.30 pm. While the Congress MLA elects were taken back to the resort, the JD(S) MLA elects were taken back to the hotel they were staying in.

The next move of both parties is yet to be ascertained.