All eyes on Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala

Speed Post News Network

Patna : With the BJP failing to get the magic figure of 112 that is a simple majority by 8 seats in the Karnataka Assembly polls, all eyes are now on Governor Vajubhai Vala who will have to decide whether to call BJP, the single largest winner of seats, to try to form the government or invite the JD(S)-Congress combine, which together have a clear majority in the 224-member Assembly. Polls were to 222 seats on May 12, 2018.

CM Siddaramaih, who had contested from Badami and Hamundeshwari seats, lost by a huge margin of 30,000 from Chamundeshwari in a major setback to Congress. Congress, which had won 122 seats in 2013 Karnataka assembly polls, could win only 78 seats in 2018 polls, a loss of 44 seats. That apart, many of its ministers were defeated in the polls.

The Congress, in an apparent move to prevent the BJP from forming the government, has offered the post of chief minister to Janata Dal ( Secular) leader and former CM Kumara H D Kumaraswamy, son of former PM and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda. The Congress and JD(S) did not see eye to eye till May 14, 2018.

Kumaraswamy met the Governor to stake his claim to form the government. The JD(S) has won 37 seats. But, BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddiyurappa also met the Governor to stake his claim to form the government as the BJP has emerged as the largest single party with 104 seats.

PM Narendra Modi has described the BJP’s performance in the Karnataka polls as unprecedented and said that poll results showed that the BJP does not belong to Hindi belt only. The BJP is already in power in non-Hindi belt like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Assam, Goa, and Tripura.