Battle to form government in Karnataka: Congress, BJP ready to claim majority

Bangalore : The high voltage drama continues in Karnataka as both Congress and BJP have approached the governor seeking permission to claim majority and form government in the state.

CONGRESS GETS SUPPORT FROM JDS

The Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) on Tuesday staked claim to form a government after the Karnataka election threw up a hung Assembly.

After meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala, the Congress declared that it was giving unconditional support to the JD-S, which finished third in the race for power in the state behind the BJP and the Congress.

Outgoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said: "We have extended our support to the JD-S and conveyed our decision to the Governor."

BJP urges Governor to allow it to prove majority 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s chief ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa said on Tuesday evening that he had urged Governor Vajubhai R. Vala to allow him to prove majority support in the Karnataka Assembly.

"We are the single largest party. We have requested the Governor to give the BJP a chance to prove majority in the Assembly. We are staking claim to form the government," Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

Yeddyurappa made the comments to the media after calling on Vala, along with party leader and Union Minister Ananth Kumar, after results from Saturday's Assembly election threw up a split verdict.

"Since we are emerging as the single largest party, we have appealed to the Governor to give us time to form the new government," party's spokesman S. Shantharam told IANS here.

(with IANS inputs)