Yeddyurappa wait continues Karnataka BJP chief visits RSS office for blessings

Bengaluru : Government formation exercise in Karnataka was yet to take off on Wednesday as the state BJP looked to the central leadership for its go-ahead to stake claim to provide an alternative after the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition ministry in a confidence vote.

A day after the exit of the H D Kumaraswamy ministry, the BJP showed no hurry to stake claim for forming the next government, as the number game may not yet be finally over with both the resignations of rebel Congress and JDS MLAs and the pleas for their disqualification still pending with Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar.

The 14-month old Congress-JDS government collapsed on Tuesday as it lost the confidence motion moved by Kumaraswamy in the assembly after intense jockeying for power played out for three weeks with several political twists and turns and legal battle following the resignation of 15 rebel MLAs.

In the trial of strength, Kumaraswamy had garnered 99 votes against the 105 by the BJP, with the ruling coalition swept out of power by a big chunk of its lawmakers who refused to back out and skipped voting on confidence motion.

Chief minister in waiting Karnataka BJP President B S Yeddyurappa said he was awaiting instructions from his party central leadership on staking claim to form an alternative government. "I'm awaiting instructions from Delhi. I can call legislature party meeting any time and go to Raj Bhavan (to stake claim).

I'm waiting for it," he told reporters after meeting RSS leaders at its state headquarters "Keshava Krupa" here. "I came here to take the blessings of senior leaders of the Sangh Parivar. I'm waiting for instructions from Delhi, at any point of time we will call for Legislature Party and then head to the Raj Bhavan," Yeddyurappa said.