Deve Gowda, Rahul discuss political situation in K'taka over phone

Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) national president H.D. Deve Gowda on Thursday had a telephonic conversation with Congress president Rahul Gandhi to discuss the current political situation in Karnataka.

Karnataka has been witnessing political slugfest after Governor Vajubhai Vala invited Bharatiya Janata Party, the single-largest party, to form the government in the state.

The decision triggered an outrage among Opposition parties, who are demanding that the governors of four other states -Goa, Bihar, Meghalaya and Manipur - should invite them to stake claim to form the government as they were also the single largest parties in last assembly polls held in these states.

Results of the Karnataka Assembly polls announced on May 15 showed that the BJP had won 104 seats, emerging as the single largest party, while the Congress and JD(S) bagged 78 and 38 seats, respectively.

In a turn of events, the JD(S) and Congress forge a post-poll alliance government. They also got the support of one Independent MLA, taking their collective number to 117.

While the BJP argued that they were the single largest party to be invited first by the Governor, the JD(S) and Congress said that 112 is the majority to form government and Congress-JDS combine is at 117.