Defeated Congress desperate to grab power, taunts Yeddyurappa

BJP's cief ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa on Tuesday mocked the Congress party for being "desperate" to grab power by exploring an alliance with Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) despite being "rejected" by the people of the state.

"The people of the state have rejected Congress and voted for a change. People are moving towards 'Congress-mukt' (Congress-free) Karnataka. Despite being rejected, Congress is desperate to grab power," Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

Anti-incumbency against the ruling Congress government was so strong that outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself lost from Chamundeshwari seat in his home district of Mysuru, Yeddyurappa pointed out.

According to the Election Commission (EC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has so far won 85 seats and is leading in 19 of the 222 Legislative Assembly seats out of the total 224 constituencies in the state. The party is eight seats short of the 112 seats required to win a simple majority.

The BJP's national leaders will decide on the party's course of action in the event of a hung Assembly, Yeddyurappa said.

The Congress, on the other hand, has won in 58 seats and leading in 20.

Congress General Secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told the media in the company of outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that the JD-S had accepted the Congress offer of support.

"We will meet the Governor and stake claim (to form a government). Our numbers put together will be more than the BJP's," Azad said.

--IANS

bha/nir