Karnataka swearing-in: Yeddy's grim prediction for Kumaraswamy; top updates

Billed as a show of strength by Opposition and regional parties against Modi and BJP, H D Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremony will see the likes of Chandrababu Naidu and Mamata Banerjee share the dais

 

Karnataka Chief Minister-designate H D Kumaraswamy's swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru on Wednesday will be used by Opposition parties for a "show of strength" against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Several prominent Opposition leaders and chief ministers, including Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, confirmed that they would attend the swearing-in of the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) leader. Meanwhile, BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa on Wednesday said that "hunger, greed and power" were the basis of the JD(S)-Congress alliance, adding that such an alliance would "not even last three months".

United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, among others, are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony.

While the Congress-JD(S) combine has a reason to cheer, a defiant BJP state unit will protest across Karnataka on Wednesday against the formation of the coalition government. The BJP is observing the occasion as the 'anti-people's mandate day' across the state.

Here are the top 10 developments around H D Kumaraswamy's swearing in as the Karnataka chief minister:

1) Yeddyurappa doesn’t see coalition lasting more than 3 months: BJP's state unit chief and three-time chief minister, Yeddyurappa, who took part in BJP Karnataka unit's 'anti-people's mandate day' protest across the state against the formation of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government, said that "hunger, greed and power" were the basis of the alliance between the two parties. He added that the alliance would "not even last three months". Yeddyurappa was leading a demonstration at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Bengaluru.

"As the Congress-JD(S) alliance hijacked the people's mandate and formed an unholy alliance..., on Wednesday we are observing the occasion as the 'anti-people's mandate day' across the state," said BJP spokesman S Shantaram.

2) Kumaraswamy says all manifesto promises will be implemented: Ahead of his swearing in today, Kumaraswamy told news agencies that "all the promises made in the manifesto will be implemented". The Karnataka chief minister-designate added that "safeguarding the interest of the farming community" was his government's "top priority".

3) Opposition's show of strength against BJP: Various regional parties and their leaders, some of whom have called for a unified front against Modi in 2019, took note of how the Congress and JD(S) came together to keep the BJP out of power in Karnataka. Aiming to repeat this outcome across the country, key Opposition leaders are making a beeline for the Karnataka swearing-in, which could be used as a show of strength.

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Karnataka govt formation: SC tells BJP to face floor test tomorrow; updates

While the Supreme Court resumed its hearing over the Karnataka government formation, the Congress observed 'Save Democracy Day' across the country. Catch all the updates here

Karnataka Election 2018: The Supreme Court on Friday held a hearing in the Karnataka government formation matter, directing that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and the state's new chief minister, B S Yeddyurappa, must conduct the floor test on Saturday at 4 pm. The hearing came after the apex court issued notices to the Karnataka government and BJP's Yeddyurappa seeking their replies on the plea filed by the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine, which has opposed Yeddyurappa's swearing-in and termed Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to invite the BJP to form the government as "unconstitutional". Meanwhile, the Congress, for its part, observed 'Save Democracy Day' today across the country.

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to place before it two communications sent by Yeddyurappa to Governor Vala in which he had staked claim to form the government, saying their perusal was necessary to decide the case. Among these communications to be furnished in court will be the letter of support from newly-elected legislators that Yeddyurappa submitted to the Governor. The Congress has argued that the letter submitted by Yeddyurappa has only 104 signatures, which is clearly short of the majority mark of 112-seats in the 222-member Assembly. The Congress-JD(S) had submitted a letter with 117 signatures.

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On Thursday, Governor Vala administered the oath of office and secrecy to Yeddyurappa at the Raj Bhavan in a morning ceremony. Vala has told Yeddyurappa to prove within 15 days that he has the majority in the Legislative Assembly. Although the BJP emerged as the single-largest party, winning 104 seats, in the May 12 assembly election, it fell short of eight seats from the 112-halfway mark in the lower House. The Congress trailed behind the saffron party with 78 seats and the regional JD(S) with 37 seats.

At a special pre-dawn hearing, a three-judge Bench of the apex court had rejected a joint writ petition, filed by the Congress and the JD(S) on Wednesday night, to halt the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa as Karnataka chief minister. However, the top court said Yeddyurappa's swearing-in was subject to the final outcome of the matter before it.(READ MORE)