Yeddyurappa confident of being in power for 5 years

Hours after taking oath on Thursday, an upbeat Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said he was confident of winning the majority and being in power for five years.

"I am thankful to the people of the state, especially farmers and the poor, who have supported me. People are with me and the BJP and I am confident that I will win the majority and be in power for the next five years," asserted Yeddyurappa, addressing the media after taking oath as the Chief Minister.

Crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah for his swearing-in as the Chief Minister, he accused the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) of trying to steal the people's mandate by forming an alliance.

"The Congress and JD-S have formed an unholy alliance despite people choosing the BJP. We are confident of winning the majority," he said.

There were many JD-S and Congress legislators who know the BJP would form the government and he was confident they will vote for his government, he said.

Yeddyurappa, however, declined to elaborate how the BJP would gain the majority on the floor of the House, saying the issue was being heard at the Supreme Court.

Earlier, a three-judge bench of the apex court rejected a joint writ petition of the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular to stall the swearing in of Yeddyurappa at a special hearing early in the day.

The top court, however, said the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa was subject to the final outcome of the matter before it and posted the case for further hearing at 10:30 a.m. on Friday.

Of the 222 constituencies where polling was held on May 12, the BJP won 104 seats while the Congress won in 78 and JD-S won in 38 seats, throwing up a hung Assembly. The BJP is still eight seats short of the 112-halfway mark needed for a simple majority.

According to Governor Vajubhai R. Vala's directive, Yeddyurappa has to prove a majority within 15 days.

--IANS

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