HD Kumaraswamy to meet Sonia before oath-taking

Bengaluru: Janata Dal-Secular's (JD-S) legislative party leader HD Kumaraswamy (HDK) on Sunday said he will take oath as Karnataka Chief Minister on Wednesday in the presence of several national leaders.

"I've deferred taking oath to Wednesday on the advice of the Congress as May 21 is (ex-Prime Minister) Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary. On Thursday, the Speaker will be elected and the date of seeking trust vote will be decided after that," Kumaraswamy told reporters here.   

Ahead of the swearing-in, Kumaraswamy will meet Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Monday to discuss the modalities of government formation.

Clarifying that no discussion has taken place so far on the allocation of ministerial berths, Kumaraswamy termed reports on the power-sharing formula of 30 months each between the parties as “bogus”. Based on the outcome of discussions with them, a decision will be taken on the number of Congress and JD(S) MLAs who will become ministers, Kumaraswamy added.

BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa had on Saturday stepped down as the chief minister without facing the floor test in the state assembly as the BJP fell short of numbers, following which Kumaraswamy met Governor Vajubhai Vala, and said he had been invited to form the government.

He also asserted that within 24 hours of taking oath, he would prove the majority on the floor of the House. After meeting the Governor, Kumaraswamy had on Saturday said the swearing-in ceremony would take place tentatively between 12 noon and 1.50 pm at Kanteerava stadium on Monday.

But, later he announced that the event would be held on May 23 as May 21 happens to be the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The venue of the swearing-in is also likely to be changed, with party sources now saying it is likely to take place at Vidhana Soudha (the seat of the state legislature).