Vala should be removed if he doesn't resign: Stalin

Congress' southern ally, DMK, welcomed the Supreme Court directive today to hold a floor test in Karnataka tomorrow and demanded the removal of Governor Vajubhai Vala for his "mistake" in inviting the BJP to form the government.

"The verdict given by the Supreme Court is seen as a big victory for democracy and the Constitution. The mistake by the Karnataka Governor has become apparent," DMK working president M K Stalin told reporters here.

"Vala should immediately resign or Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi or President (Ram Nath Kovind) should remove him from the post," Stalin, the leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, said.

Earlier in the day, the apex court ordered a floor test in the Karnataka Assembly at 4pm tomorrow, drastically slashing the 15-day window given by the governor to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to prove majority.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has emerged as the single-largest party with 104 seats, followed by the Congress with 78, Janata Dal (Secular) with 37 and three seats going to others in the 224-member Assembly, where elections were held for 222 seats.

While both the BJP and Congress-JDS post-poll alliance staked claim to form the government, Vala had invited Yeddyurappa and sworn him as chief minister yesterday.

Stalin had yesterday termed Vala's invite to BJP to form the government "hasty" and "unconstitutional", alleging that it would lead to horse-trading.