Live: Conspiracy to destroy Ambedkar's constitution, BSP chief Mayawati says on Yeddyurappa's swearing in

"Wait till tomorrow or day after tomorrow" for floor test, says newly sworn in Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa. 

Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister Thursday morning. Governor Vajubhai Vala has given him 15 days to prove his majority on the floor of the house. 

BS Yeddyurappa has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. 

No other minister was sworn in. 

Yeddyurappa has been given 15 days by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala to prove his majority on the floor of the house. 

The Congress on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court, asking it to stay the swearing in. The Congress' contention is that Yeddyurappa does not have the numbers to prove his majority. 

The BJP emerged the single-largest party after the Karnataka elections with 104 seats. 

The Congress won 78, and the JD(S) 37. The JD(S)'s pre-poll ally the BSP won 1 seat. 

The Congress-JD(S) combine therefore has 116 seats. 

112 seats are currently needed for a simple majority in Karnataka. Polling was postponed in 2 seats in the 224-member Karnataka house. 

The Supreme Court — which heard the Congress plea in the wee hours of Thursday morning — however refused to stay the swearing in. It will next hear the case on Friday morning.  

The Congress' plea to stay Yeddyurappa's swearing in will next be heard by the Supreme Court at 10.30 am Friday. 

The plea is being heard by a three-judge bench comprising Justices AK Sikri, SA Bobde and Ashok Bhushan. 

The Supreme Court had earlier refused to stay Yeddyurappa's swearing in

Also read: In late-night hearing, Supreme Court refuses to stay Yeddyurappa's swearing-in ceremony

The Supreme Court today refused to stay BJP leader BS Yeddyurppa's swearing-in as Karnataka Chief Minister, paving the way for formation of his government after dramatic turn of events through the night inside and outside the courtroom that saw a rare post-midnight hearing continuing till the wee hours.

Hours before the swearing-in ceremony, the top court made it clear that the swearing-in and the government formation would be subject to the final outcome of the case before it.

The BJP's BS Yeddyurappa will be sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister today at 9 am. 

BJP MPs accuse Karnataka government of tapping their phones 

BJP MPs Shobha Karandlaje, GM Siddeshwara and PC Mohan write to Home Minister Rajnath Singh stating, ''we have every reason to believe that Karnataka govt is misusing its power and tapping our mobile phones. This is a clear violation of our fundamental right to privacy.''

HD Kumaraswamy arrives at Raj Bhavan along with his MLAs

Javadekar calls Kumaraswamy’s Rs. 100 crore claim ‘imaginary’

Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) In-charge Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday called Kumaraswamy’s Rs. 100 crore claim ‘imaginary’. 

"They(Congress and JDS) are leveling baseless charges against BJP. Poaching and horse trading is not done by BJP, Congress is famous for it. Their own MLAs are not happy with their alliance," Javadekar said.

He further asserted that the party has submitted their claim to Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala and is confident of forming the government in the state.

Talking to the reporters here, Javadekar said,"Rs 100 crore figure is not only imaginary but it is what Congress-JDS do politics through. We are going by rules, we have submitted our claim to the Governor, are confident of forming the govt.
 

According to sources, Congress and JD (S) MLAs are expected to arrive at Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor around 5 pm. If an appointment is not given, they are planning to stage a sit-in protest outside Raj Bhavan. 

Congress to move Supreme Court if Karnataka Governor Vajubahi Vala invites BJP's Yeddyurappa to form a government: Sources

Kumaraswamy was earlier in the day elected chief of the JD(S) legislature party

Kumaraswamy adds that there are "people ready to leave BJP and come with us. If you try to poach one from ours, we'll do the same and take double from you." 

He adds that "I'm also telling the Governor to not take any decision which encourages horse-trading."

'JD(S) MLAs are being offered Rs 100 crore each. Where is this black money coming from? They are supposedly the servers of poor people and they are offering money today. Where are the income tax officials?,' says HD Kumaraswamy 

66 out of the 78 MLAs reached for Congress legislative meeting at Karnataka Party Congress Committee office in Bengaluru.

The BJP's BS Yeddyurappa made a statement outside the Karnataka Raj Bhavan Wednesday morning. 

Yeddyurappa said he had been chosen as the BJP's legislature party chief and that he had urged Governor Vajubhai Vala to swear him in at the earliest. 

He added that he was confident the governor would take a decision soon and that he (Yeddyurapa) would be given the chance to take the oath as chief minister of Karnataka. 
 

Also read: BJP poaching MLAs, claim Karnataka Congress frontrunners

As Karnataka's political scenario gets intensive, the state's Congress Party leaders have alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to "poach" their MLAs in an attempt to establish majority to form the government in Karnataka.

"They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, and we know that. Every day, there is a lot of pressure. But it not so easy, as two parties have the necessary numbers. However, we are taking all necessary steps," said Congress leader DK Shivakumar.

On being asked whether Congress MLAs in Karnataka would be shifted elsewhere, Shivakumar claimed that a plan has been chalked out to safeguard the former.

Also read: BJP's KS Eshwarappa says they have support of some Congress and JD(S) MLAs

Senior Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader KS Eshwarappa on Wednesday said that their party is in touch with some Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs as they hope to stitch together a majority to form the government in the state.

"Many JD (S) and Congress MLAs are angry with Congress and JD(S) going together to form a government, they will come with BJP. We have the support of some Congress and JD(S) MLAs," Eshwarappa told reporters here.

He also asserted that BJP will form the government in the state.

Also read: Congress' Amaregouda Bayyapur says BJP leaders offered me ministry

Congress leader Amaregouda Linganagouda Patil Bayyapur revealed on Wednesday that he had received lucrative offers from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to switch his allegiance for the latter.

However, despite offers of a seat in the State Ministry, Bayyapur said that his fidelity would continue to lie with the Congress.

ANI reports that only 66 of the Congress's 78 MLAs reach the party's legislature meeting

The drama in Karnataka will continue on Wednesday with both the JD(S)-Congress combine and the BJP meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala today to stake their claims to forming a government. 

The JD(S)'s HD Kumaraswamy had met Governor Vala Tuesday evening, and staked his claim to forming a government in the state. 

Kumaraswamy was accompanied by the Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. 

The Congress told Vala that it was giving the JD(S) its "unconditional support". 

But the BJP's chief ministerial candidate got to Vala before Kumaraswamy, and he too staked his claim to forming the government. 

Also read: Congress does to BJP in Karnataka what latter did to it in Goa

The Karnataka vote, which was counted yesterday, ended with the BJP emerging as the single largest party. 

The party won 104 seats, the Congress won 78, the JD(S) won 37, its pre-poll ally the BSP won 1, and Others 2. 

Karnataka has 224 assembly seats but voting was held for 222. The halfway mark then is 111, with a party needing 112 seats for a simple majority. 

The BJP is short by 8 seats, while the JD(S)-Congress combine (including the BSP) has 116 seats. 

But Yeddyurappa told Governor Vala yesterday that he should be the one invited to try and form a government since the BJP has emerged as the single-largest party in Karnataka. 

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah meanwhile quoted the Supreme Court as saying after the Goa election that "group having more seats than required are invited". 

Remember, in Goa and Manipur, which went to the polls last year, the Congress had emerged as the single-largest party. But the BJP ended up forming coalition governments in both states because the Congress was not able to muster up the needed numbers. 

All eyes, in Karnataka and the country, then are on Governor Vala and what he does next. 

Constitutional experts have said the decision is his but that he will have to be guided by the principle of inviting the combine/ party that he thinks will provide the state with a stable government.