BS Yediyurappa is to be sworn-in as the Karnataka Chief Minister for 4th time on Friday evening, three days after the collapse of H D Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) government in a trust motion. Governor Vajubhai Vala will administer him the oath of office and secrecy.
Yediyurappa had earlier today staked claim and requested that he be sworn-in Friday evening itself at 6 pm.
BJP Working President JP Nadda expressed confidence that Yediyurappa will provide a clean and stable government to Karnataka. Yediyurappa last held the CM’s post for 3-days only after May 2018 Assembly polls.
He then, had to quit, unable to muster majority after staking claim to form the government as the leader of the single largest party with 104 seats in the 225-member Assembly.
The current strength of the Assembly has come down to 222 after disqualification of 3 rebel Congress MLAs by Speaker Ramesh Kumar yesterday evening. Ramesh Kumar is yet to decide the fate of the remaining 14 rebel Congress-JD(S) MLAs.
The state BJP leadership couldn’t stake claim yesterday as it was awaiting “instructions” from party’s central leadership. A group of Karnataka BJP leaders, including Jagdish Shettar, Arvind Limbavali, J C Madhuswamy, Basavaraj Bommai and Yediyurappa’s son Vijayendra were in Delhi, reportedly discussing government formation with party chief Amit Shah.
The Congress slammed Yediyurappa’s government formation bid and accused Yediyurappa of horse-trading. Former Congress chief minister Siddarmaiah also questioned the constitutionality of Karnataka Governor’s invitation for Yediyurappa to form government while slamming the BJP for turning Karnataka into an “experimental lab”.
The JD(S) also wondered how Yediyurappa with 105 BJP MLAs could claim to have the majority in a house with current strength of 222 MLAs.
Yediyurappa had yesterday promised to return Karnataka to the path of development.
