BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa took oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on Thursday at the Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru. The oath was administered by Governor Vajubhai R Vala.
A visibly delighted Yeddyurappa displayed the victory sign after taking the oath of office.
Only Yeddyurappa took the oath at the simple ceremony in the ‘Glass House’ on the lawns of the Raj Bhavan in the city centre amid tight security. His cabinet will be sworn-in only after he proves majority in the House.
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On Wednesday, the Governor had invited BJP legislative party leader Yeddyurappa to form the new government, giving him 15 days to prove the numbers. However, whether or not he will get this over two-week window will be debated in the Supreme Court on Friday.
After Vala invited Yeddyurappa to form the new government in the state, the Congress approached Supreme Court Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Wednesday night seeking an urgent hearing on the matter.
In the major setback to the post poll alliance of Congress-JD(S), the Supreme Court after a midnight hearing decided not to stay the swearing-in of Yeddyurappa as the new CM.
On Wednesday evening, top leaders of the Janata Dal (Secular) and Karnataka Congress had met Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan and submitted the signatures of the MLAs of the two parties to convince him that they had the numbers to form the government.
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As per reports, the Governor had told them that he would consult a legal expert before taking a decision on whom to invite to form the government.
The Congress and the JD(S) had collected signatures of their MLAs on a document, which was later submitted to the Governor.
The May 12 Assembly elections had delivered a fractured verdict with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 104 seats, falling eight seats short of the 112 needed to form the government in the state.
The Congress won 78 seats and the JD(S) 37.