Bengaluru: The Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress combine is taking no chances after finally getting a shot at forming the government in Karnataka with BS Yeddyurappa’s shock resignation minutes before a trust vote.
While the Congress is still keeping its MLAs at a resort outside Bengaluru, JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy is planning to wrap up the floor test within 24 hours of taking oath on Wednesday.
Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in as chief minister was initially scheduled for Monday, but the JD(S) leader pushed the ceremony to Wednesday since Monday happens to be the 27th death anniversary of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The CM-elect, who met Governor Vajubhai Vala and staked claim to power on Saturday evening, will travel to Delhi on Monday to meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia.
The newly-formed JD(S)-Congress alliance has claimed support of 117 MLAs in the 224-member House with an effective strength of 221. While polling in two constituencies is yet to be held, the Ramanagara seat has fallen vacant after Kumaraswamy resigned from it and chose to retain Channapatna instead.
The leaders of both parties are meeting today to chalk out a strategy for the floor test and discuss power-sharing arrangement. While Kumaraswamy will be the chief minister, the deputy chief minister is expected to be from the Congress and a Dalit is likely to be appointed to the post.
Kumaraswamy will be the second CM in Karnataka within a span of one week after Assembly elections threw up a hung verdict. Yeddyurappa’s three-day-old government collapsed on Saturday when the BJP leader resigned in anti-climax to the floor test.
Amid allegations of poaching attempts by the BJP, the Congress has herded its MLAs at a resort outside Bengaluru, while those of the JD(S) hunkered down in a hotel in the state capital.
BJP chief Amit Shah has rubbished charges of horse-trading by his party and said the JD(S)-Congress alliance would last just one year.
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