Bangalore: 'Another Marriage' - Congress-JD (S) to Form Govt in Karnataka?
IANS
Bangalore, Oct 24: The buzz over the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) coming together again to form a government in Karnataka mounted on Wednesday after senior JD-S leader M P Prakash said his talks with the Congress over government formation were positive.
The former Home Minister of the state returned to Bangalore on Wednesday after an unannounced visit to Delhi where he met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil for an hour on Tuesday, reportedly to discuss the contours of the new arrangement.
He also met Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka Prithviraj Chavan and senior leader Motilal Vora.
Though Janata Dal-Secular sources in the national capital said a second JD-S/Congress government in the present assembly was in the offing and an announcement could be expected soon, the Congress maintained a discreet silence.
The Delhi meetings caused a turmoil in the Karnataka JD-S, which was ruling the state until President's rule was imposed and the assembly kept in suspended animation early this month, with party president H D Deve Gowda saying he had not authorised the talks.
Prakash, however, maintained that he had not kept anyone in the dark about his Delhi talks.
He was accompanied on his Delhi trip by about 10 legislators, but met Patil and Vora one-on-one. Some legislators were present with him during the meeting with Chavan, said Mahadev Prasad, a legislator who accompanied Prakash.
"The Congress leaders said they will think over and get back to us," Prasad told IANS.
"The response is positive," said Ameregouda Bayyapur, a legislator.
"JD-S legislators had authorised Prakash and other senior leaders to explore various options and take a decision," added another leader.
The crisis in the state was triggered by JD-S' Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy refusing to make way for coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after 20 months as per their agreement.
BJP walked out of the coalition. The 225-member state assembly still has 20 months left and a majority of legislators belonging to all the three main parties, JDS, BJP and Congress are against early polls.
Kumaraswamy has been advocating dissolution of the assembly and early polls as he has been responsible for bringing down two governments in the state since May 2004.
He had earlier walked out with 49 JD-S legislators in February 2006 to end the JD-S/Congress coalition formed after the fractured verdict of May 2004 Assembly polls.
Caste equations are playing a crucial role too.
JD-S sources in Delhi admitted that the Lingayats are upset with the agreement with the BJP being sabotaged and the party was keen to contain the damage. The BJP's B S Yediyurappa is a Lingayat and was slated to become chief minister after Kumaraswamy.
The JD-S has therefore offered the Congress an opportunity to lead the government in the state, with JD-S support, for the remaining 20-odd months of the present term of the state assembly. But it has put only one condition, that the Congress choose a Lingayat as the next Chief Minister, said JD-S sources.
They have even suggested a name, M V Rajasekharan, son-in-law of former Congress president S Nijalingappa.
How the 'Drama' Unfolded, 'stage' by 'stage':
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- New Delhi: Cabinet Approves President's Rule in Karnataka
- Bangalore: CM Quits, Governor Recommends Dissolution of House
- Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister to Resign on Oct 8 Evening
- Mangalore: BJP in Low Spirits, Congress Buoyant over Coalition Break-up
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Forwards BJP Ministers' Resignations to Governor
- BJP Terms it 'Betrayal', Withdraws Support to JD(S) in Karnataka
- Karnataka: 'No Power Hand-over' - JD(S)' Final Word to BJP
- Karnataka: Astrologers Predict Snap Polls
- Bangalore: BJP MLAs Want Party to Withdraw Support to Coalition
- Bangalore: Cong may offer Outside Support to JD(S) if BJP Pulls out
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Convenes Cabinet Meet on Friday, Oct 5
- Coalition Govt: Clear Picture will Emerge on Oct 5: Deve Gowda
- Bangalore: BJP Ministers' Mass Resignations and after
- Bangalore: Yediyurappa, BJP Ministers Resign en Masse
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Refuses to Resign, Rebuffs BJP
- Bangalore: State's JD(S)-BJP Coalition Govt in Doldrums
- Bantwal: Yediyurappa not Fit to be a Chief Minister - Bondala
- BJP not to Allow Kumaraswamy to Continue as CM
- Allow Kumaraswamy to Continue as CM: Deve Gowda
- Bangalore: JD (S) Leads in Civic Polls in State
- Is Yediyurappa Fit to be CM? - Deve Gowda
- New Delhi: Yediyurappa will Take over as CM of Karnataka - BJP
- Bangalore: Karnataka T20: Coalition in Last-over Crisis
- Mangalore: Deve Gowda Behaving Irresponsibly - Poojary
- Bangalore: Kumaraswamy Says He will Quit on Oct 3
- Udupi: Gowda Confused over Power Transfer, Says Bangarappa
- Mangalore: 'Mine-owners' Decision Key to JDS-BJP Power
- Transfer of Power to BJP in People's Hands - JD(S) President
- Power Transfer: Gowda's Final Game Plan to Retain Son as CM
- Power Transfer: Terrible Past, Tense Future Haunts Gowda
- Handing over Power - Deve Gowda & Co Getting Ready to Shatter BJP's Dreams?
- State CM Can't Decide Power Transfer to BJP on his Own: JD(S)
- Mangalore: 'Power Transfer in State would be Smooth and in Time', Say CM, DyCM