Karnataka Governor to go by Constitution: Kumaraswamy

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R. Vala will abide by the Constitution and Supreme Court's judgements on government formation in the state, said Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday.

"The Governor assured us that he would soon take a decision on the basis of the Constitution and the Supreme Court's judgements," Kumaraswamy told reporters after he met Vala at Raj Bhavan in the city centre.

Congress state unit president G. Parameshwara, who accompanied Kumaraswamy to Raj Bhavan, gave Vala the party's letter of support to the JD-S for inviting them to form the next government after the May 12 assembly election threw up a fractured verdict.

"We have submitted documents proving that we (JD-S and Congress) have the numbers to form the government and prove majority," asserted Kumaraswamy.

Claiming that the Governor had accepted their appeal, Kumaraswamy hoped the JD-S-Congress combine would be invited to form the new government in view of instances when parties with post-poll alliance strength were called to form governments.

"We have urged the Governor to also consider decisions taken to form governments in Goa and Mizoram in the recent past, where parties with majority number were invited to form the government," reiterated Parameshwara.

Of the 222 assembly segments in the state where polling was held on Saturday, the BJP won 104, Congress 78 and JD-S 38, including one by its ally Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Though the BJP fell eight short of the 112-halfway mark for a simple majority, its chief ministerial nominee B.S. Yeddyurappa also staked claim to form the government after the JD-S-Congress did it on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Yeddyurappa met Vala and staked claim to form the government after the party's legislators elected him as their leader in the assembly.

The JD-S legislators also elected Kumaraswamy as their leader, while the Congress legislature party passed a resolution to support the JD-S to form the government.

--IANS

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