KARNATAKA: DRAMA’S JUST BEGUN
TIMES OF INDIA 16.05.2018
The first few hours of counting in Karnataka clearly pointed to a BJP majority, and the humiliating loss of yet another state for Congress. But as the possibility of a hung assembly began to loom on the horizon, Sonia Gandhi, in a stunning move aimed at keeping the BJP out at any cost, called JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda and offered to support a government formed by his son H D Kumaraswamy — setting off a constitutional firestorm over whether the governor should first invite the hastily formed post-poll alliance which claims to have a majority, or BJP, the single-largest party eight seats short of the magic mark
Votes Counted, Now It’s The Governor’s Vote That Will Count
Naheed Ataullah & Rakesh Prakash TNN
Bengaluru
: A day of high drama — where election fortunes of all three main contenders in the fray, incumbent Congress, main rival BJP and regional powerhouse JD(S) see-sawed — ended with former PM H D Deve Gowda and Sonia Gandhi agreeing to form a government to keep BJP out. But the game may not be over as BJP has also staked claim. The party exuded confidence, with PM Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah claiming that it had won big and would not let down Karnataka's voters.
In a dramatic turn of events, Congress moved swiftly to offer support and the CM's post to JD (S) after it became apparent that it was in no position to retain office. So, having slid to 78 seats after losing more than 40 seats it had held, Congress offered unconditional support to JD(S), which won 38. Their tally of 116 seats is ahead of the simple majority of 112.
BJP also swung into action, despatching central ministers Prakash Javadekar, Dharmendra Pradhan and J P Nadda to Bengaluru to consult CM-nominee B S Yeddyurappa and other state leaders on options that could include getting MLAs from the rival camp to absent themselves or vote for BJP in defiance of party whips. This would bring down the majority mark.
This will not be an easy task for BJP, but it is probing discontent in Congress ranks over the
likely elevation of Kumaraswamy while also exploring vulnerabilities in JD(S), reviving speculation of a repeat of "Operation Lotus" that the party undertook to gain numbers after forming a government in 2008. Congress leaders said they will work to ensure that such plans do not work and are looking to secure their flock.
The action has conclusively shifted to Raj Bhavan, where governor Vajubhai Vala, a former RSS functionary and Modi’s erstwhile cabinet colleague in Gujarat, holds all the cards. His decision on who to invite first to form the government for a floor test will set the tone for events to follow.
Karnataka election result a disappointment for all three
The results were, actually, a disappointment for all three main players. Earlier on Tuesday, it seemed certain that the BJP would form a government on its own as it raced to 118 clear leads. Later, its momentum stalled and it halted at 104. The BJP had hoped that Shah’s poll management combined with Modi’s highly successful blitzkrieg before polls would do the trick. It almost did.
The results are more or less in tune with exit polls (a majority of which predicted an inconclusive verdict with the BJP ahead) though the Congress was shocked to have lost 43 seats, being caught in a pincer between a resurgent BJP and a determined JD(S) that held on to its areas of strength.
Kumaraswamy had apparently favoured an alliance with the BJP in the belief that the saffron party would be inclined to consider such an arrangement as the main target for both was the Congress. Besides, he was upset with Siddaramaiah for targeting the Gowda family during campaigning. But the offer of being made CM was a big hook and the senior Gowda, who is open to the prospect of being an important part of an anti-BJP coalition for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, had his way. His emotional appeal to his son that “I want to die a secular man” added to the persuasion. Interestingly, Deve Gowda’s 86th birthday is on May 18, so he will be hoping for his son to clinch office to add to the celebrations.
According to sources, the JD(S) was also miffed that the BJP, once it felt it would get a majority on its own, made no effort to make contact. Efforts were made only after its figures started dropping late in the afternoon.
The Congress was better prepared for this verdict. In fact, as soon as the exit polls were out, trouble-shooters Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot — both old warhorses in the game of coalition politics — were dispatched to Bengaluru to work out a formula to keep the BJP at bay even at the cost of having to placate the JD(S).
According to Congress sources, the backroom discussions were between Azad and JD(S) secretary-general K Danish Ali in New Delhi late on Sunday night. “We discussed all hypothetical situations and mutually agreed to come together without any conditions,” Ali told TOI.
The action was put in place on Tuesday around 12.30pm, when Ali called Siddaramaiah, who is reported to have agreed to go along. Kumaraswamy was contacted soon after he landed from Singapore in the early hours of Tuesday.
Meanwhile, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke to Gowda, requesting him to agree to the pact. The BJP is reported to have sent advocate Dore Raju for negotiations with the JD(S) as they had in 2006. Gowda declined to entertain him.
TIMES OF INDIA 16.05.2018
The first few hours of counting in Karnataka clearly pointed to a BJP majority, and the humiliating loss of yet another state for Congress. But as the possibility of a hung assembly began to loom on the horizon, Sonia Gandhi, in a stunning move aimed at keeping the BJP out at any cost, called JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda and offered to support a government formed by his son H D Kumaraswamy — setting off a constitutional firestorm over whether the governor should first invite the hastily formed post-poll alliance which claims to have a majority, or BJP, the single-largest party eight seats short of the magic mark
Votes Counted, Now It’s The Governor’s Vote That Will Count
Naheed Ataullah & Rakesh Prakash TNN
Bengaluru
: A day of high drama — where election fortunes of all three main contenders in the fray, incumbent Congress, main rival BJP and regional powerhouse JD(S) see-sawed — ended with former PM H D Deve Gowda and Sonia Gandhi agreeing to form a government to keep BJP out. But the game may not be over as BJP has also staked claim. The party exuded confidence, with PM Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah claiming that it had won big and would not let down Karnataka's voters.
In a dramatic turn of events, Congress moved swiftly to offer support and the CM's post to JD (S) after it became apparent that it was in no position to retain office. So, having slid to 78 seats after losing more than 40 seats it had held, Congress offered unconditional support to JD(S), which won 38. Their tally of 116 seats is ahead of the simple majority of 112.
BJP also swung into action, despatching central ministers Prakash Javadekar, Dharmendra Pradhan and J P Nadda to Bengaluru to consult CM-nominee B S Yeddyurappa and other state leaders on options that could include getting MLAs from the rival camp to absent themselves or vote for BJP in defiance of party whips. This would bring down the majority mark.
This will not be an easy task for BJP, but it is probing discontent in Congress ranks over the
likely elevation of Kumaraswamy while also exploring vulnerabilities in JD(S), reviving speculation of a repeat of "Operation Lotus" that the party undertook to gain numbers after forming a government in 2008. Congress leaders said they will work to ensure that such plans do not work and are looking to secure their flock.
The action has conclusively shifted to Raj Bhavan, where governor Vajubhai Vala, a former RSS functionary and Modi’s erstwhile cabinet colleague in Gujarat, holds all the cards. His decision on who to invite first to form the government for a floor test will set the tone for events to follow.
Karnataka election result a disappointment for all three
The results were, actually, a disappointment for all three main players. Earlier on Tuesday, it seemed certain that the BJP would form a government on its own as it raced to 118 clear leads. Later, its momentum stalled and it halted at 104. The BJP had hoped that Shah’s poll management combined with Modi’s highly successful blitzkrieg before polls would do the trick. It almost did.
The results are more or less in tune with exit polls (a majority of which predicted an inconclusive verdict with the BJP ahead) though the Congress was shocked to have lost 43 seats, being caught in a pincer between a resurgent BJP and a determined JD(S) that held on to its areas of strength.
Kumaraswamy had apparently favoured an alliance with the BJP in the belief that the saffron party would be inclined to consider such an arrangement as the main target for both was the Congress. Besides, he was upset with Siddaramaiah for targeting the Gowda family during campaigning. But the offer of being made CM was a big hook and the senior Gowda, who is open to the prospect of being an important part of an anti-BJP coalition for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, had his way. His emotional appeal to his son that “I want to die a secular man” added to the persuasion. Interestingly, Deve Gowda’s 86th birthday is on May 18, so he will be hoping for his son to clinch office to add to the celebrations.
According to sources, the JD(S) was also miffed that the BJP, once it felt it would get a majority on its own, made no effort to make contact. Efforts were made only after its figures started dropping late in the afternoon.
The Congress was better prepared for this verdict. In fact, as soon as the exit polls were out, trouble-shooters Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ashok Gehlot — both old warhorses in the game of coalition politics — were dispatched to Bengaluru to work out a formula to keep the BJP at bay even at the cost of having to placate the JD(S).
According to Congress sources, the backroom discussions were between Azad and JD(S) secretary-general K Danish Ali in New Delhi late on Sunday night. “We discussed all hypothetical situations and mutually agreed to come together without any conditions,” Ali told TOI.
The action was put in place on Tuesday around 12.30pm, when Ali called Siddaramaiah, who is reported to have agreed to go along. Kumaraswamy was contacted soon after he landed from Singapore in the early hours of Tuesday.
Meanwhile, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi spoke to Gowda, requesting him to agree to the pact. The BJP is reported to have sent advocate Dore Raju for negotiations with the JD(S) as they had in 2006. Gowda declined to entertain him.
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