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BJP’s Yeddyurappa confident of Governor’s invite amid charges of horsetrading

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Amid allegations from Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) of trying to poach their MLAs, BJP’s chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa, who was elected leader of Karnataka BJP legislature party, said he would take oath as chief minister tomorrow, Thursday, May 17.

Meanwhile, to forestall this, Congress and JD(S) were collecting signatures of their MLAs in support of HD Kumaraswamy as chief minister. The document will be submitted to Governor Vajubhai Vala later today (Wednesday, May 16). The two parties have also denied reports of any of their MLAs going ‘missing’.

Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Wala has not given out any indication either way so far. The Congress and JD(S) had jointly staked their claim to form government even as results were coming in, once it was clear that together they had a comfortable majority. Yeddyurappa had also met the Governor laying claim as leader of the single largest party to be invited first for forming government.

The principle Yeddyurappa is banking on does not apply any more after the Manipur, Meghalaya and Goa episodes where it was dumped to allow BJP to forge alliances and form governments, edging out the Congress as the single largest party.

All eyes are on Governor Vajubhai who, however, has let out any word so far. In Goa and other states, it was the BJP which had swiftly tied up alliances and approached the Governor to stake its claim and the Governor accepted it promptly. In Karnataka, however, the Congress was prepared and showed alacrity in extending unconditional support to JD(S) whose leader HD Kumaraswamy did not waste time in approaching the Governor.

To invite BJP, the Governor and the Centre need to work out a rationale that does not appear too brazenly disgraceful. Vajubhai Wala is former RSS man from Gujarat known to have a good rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The time lag provides scope for parties to try and poach on legislators of other parties – a charge that Congress and JD(S) are levelling at BJP.

JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of horse-trading. Speaking at a press conference, he said the party had offered JD(S) legislators Rs 100 crore and cabinet rank to get them to switch sides. “JD(S) MLAs are being offered Rs 100 crore each. Where is this black money coming from? They are supposedly the servers of poor people and they are offering money today. Where are the income tax officials?” he said.

Prakash Javadekar, Karnataka BJP In-charge, speaking on horse-trading allegations by Congress and JDS, said, “Rs 100 crore figure is not only imaginary but it is what Congress-JD(S) do politics through. We are going by rules, we have submitted our claim to the Governor, are confident of forming the government.”

He said, “They are levelling baseless charges against BJP. Poaching and horse trading is not done by BJP, Congress is famous for it. Their own MLAs are not happy with their alliance.”

Asked how the BJP plans to achieve majority, Javadekar said “it would happen in the natural course of things”. Many lawmakers are “upset” with the “unethical marriage of convenience” between the Congress and the JD(S), he added.

Earlier, all three major parties – the BJP, Congress and JD(S) – held legislative party meetings today. Newly elected Karnataka BJP legislators formally elected B S Yeddyurappa as the legislative party leader.

JD(S) MLAs chose state unit chief H D Kumaraswamy as legislative party leader. However, ANI reported that two legislators, namely Raja Venkatappa Nayaka and Venkata Rao Nadagouda, were missing from the party meeting.

Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s nominee for chief minister, met governor Vajubhai Vala today and asked him to allow the BJP to form the next government in Karnataka. Speaking to mediapersons outside the Raj Bhavan, a confident Yeddyurappa claimed that he will take oath as chief minister tomorrow.

Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar alleged that the BJP was attempting to “poach” its MLAs and a plan to safeguard them was afoot, details of which would be revealed in due course of time. “They (BJP) are poaching our MLAs, we know that. Everyday there is a lot of pressure. But it not so easy because two parties have the necessary number. People are watching this,” he said.

Levelling a similar charge, JD(S) leader Saravana said several party lawmakers had been approached by the BJP, which had yesterday asked the governor for a chance to prove its majority. “I don’t know what they (BJP) are offering but they are trying to call our people, but they are not responding. We are all together, no one can touch our party. Our party MLAs are loyal to the party,” Saravana told ANI.

Congress leader Siddaramaiah, who resigned as chief minister yesterday, denied reports that some legislators of his party had gone missing. “All the Congress MLAs are intact. Nobody is missing. We are confident of forming the government,” he said before heading to the Congress party meeting at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office.

BJP’s future course of action:

While the Governor’s move is awaited anxiously, there is speculation also about the future moves of the BJP.

If invited first to form a government, one course of action the BJP may adopt is to repeat ‘Operation Lotus’ which it tried successfully in 2008 when it was short of majority and formed its first government in the state.

Yeddyurappa employed this tactic to buy over opposition party MLAs with money and power. BJP poached 20 MLAs from JD(S) and Congress, made them resign their seats and contest bypolls, between 2008 and 2013. This time it needs to get less than 10 MLAs for the magic figure to drop within its manageable limits.

Another way is make some MLAs of the Congress and JD(S) abstain during the trust vote.

A third option is to allow the Congress-JD(S) coalition to form government and try and bring it down later at an opportune time, use this to portray the combine as opportunistic, unreliable and unscrupulous and project itself as the party that can provide a stable government that can do all the wonderful things it claims to be doing at the Centre and in the states it rules.

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Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose resigns, Mamata Banerjee says RN Ravi to replace him

West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has resigned ahead of the state assembly election. Mamata Banerjee said RN Ravi of Tamil Nadu may replace him and questioned the process.

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Bengal Governor

CV Ananda Bose has resigned as the Governor of West Bengal, according to sources. The development comes ahead of the upcoming state assembly election and follows a period marked by differences between the governor and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Sources indicated that Bose is currently in Delhi. However, the reasons behind his resignation have not yet been made public.

Reacting to the development, Mamata Banerjee said she was “shocked and deeply concerned” by the sudden move.

She also claimed that RN Ravi, who is presently serving as the Governor of Tamil Nadu, will be appointed as the next Governor of West Bengal.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Banerjee said the reasons for Bose’s resignation were not known to her at the moment.

“The reasons behind his resignation are not known to me at this moment. However, given the prevailing circumstances, I would not be surprised if the Governor has been subjected to some pressure from the Union Home Minister to serve certain political interests on the eve of the forthcoming State Assembly elections,” she wrote.

Banerjee further alleged that the Union Home Minister informed her that RN Ravi would be appointed as the Governor of West Bengal, but said she was not consulted beforehand.

She said such a move goes against established conventions and weakens the federal structure.

“Union Home Minister just informed me that Shri R.N. Ravi is being appointed as Governor of West Bengal. He never consulted with me as per the established convention in this regard. Such actions undermine the spirit of the Constitution of India and strike at the very foundation of our federal structure. The Centre must respect the principles of cooperative federalism and refrain from taking unilateral decisions that erode democratic conventions and the dignity of States,” Banerjee said.

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BJP to launch 5,000-km Parivartan Yatra across West Bengal ahead of Assembly elections

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will begin its large-scale ‘Parivartan Yatra’ in poll-bound West Bengal from Sunday, marking a major political outreach drive ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The party said the campaign is designed to mobilise support across the state and counter what it alleges has been more than a decade of “corrupt, undemocratic, and anti-people governance” under the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Statewide mobilisation across nine divisions

According to party leaders, the Yatra will be conducted simultaneously in all nine organisational divisions of West Bengal. The outreach programme is expected to cover nearly 5,000 kilometres, passing through 38 organisational districts and more than 230 Assembly constituencies.

The BJP estimates the initiative will generate over one crore direct public touchpoints, focusing heavily on face-to-face interactions and grassroots engagement. As part of the campaign plan, the party has scheduled 63 large rallies and 281 welcome meetings at key entry points of Assembly constituencies.

With the slogan “Paltano Dorkar, Chai BJP Sorkar”, the party has framed the Yatra as both an electoral campaign and a broader political movement aimed at strengthening its organisational presence across the state.

Focus on governance, law and order, and corruption

The party’s messaging during the Yatra will centre on governance, accountability, and systemic reforms. BJP leaders plan to raise concerns related to women’s safety, alleged corruption in the education sector, including teacher recruitment issues, and what they describe as threats to national security.

Party sources indicated that demographic changes, illegal infiltration, and the presence of extremist elements in border districts will also be key themes during the campaign.

In rural areas, the outreach will emphasise agricultural infrastructure, implementation of centrally sponsored schemes, and removal of intermediaries. In urban regions, the narrative will focus on industrial development, youth employment, and improvements in urban transport systems.

Senior leaders to participate

More than 100 senior leaders from the central and state units are expected to be involved in the Yatra. The inaugural phase, scheduled for Sunday and Monday, will feature five launch events on the first day and four on the second.

Senior BJP leaders including Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Nitin Nabin are expected to attend various programmes during the campaign.

After a short break for Holi, the Yatra will resume from March 5 to March 10, with each unit operating for approximately nine hours daily. The campaign is set to culminate in a major public meeting at Kolkata’s Brigade Ground, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address supporters.

The BJP is positioning the Parivartan Yatra as a significant step in reshaping the political landscape of West Bengal as the state moves closer to the Assembly elections.

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BJP alliances in Assam likely to be sealed by March 10

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himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has indicated that the alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) is expected to be finalised by March 10 ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

The AGP, a long-time ally of the BJP in Assam, is also a founding member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Discussions between the partners are progressing, with indications that the formal announcement could come within days.

Sources said there could be “friendly fights” between the BJP and AGP in a few constituencies. Such arrangements may be considered to accommodate local-level aspirations and party workers from both sides.

The BJP is also likely to conclude seat-sharing discussions with the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) by March 10. In the previous Assembly election, the BPF had aligned with the Indian National Congress (Congress), but it has now returned to the NDA fold.

However, seat-sharing talks between the BJP and its other Bodoland-region partner, the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), are reportedly facing hurdles. Earlier, Mr Sarma had stated that the UPPL would not join hands with the Congress.

On the opposition side, the Congress is dealing with its own alliance challenges. Negotiations with Akhil Gogoi-led Raijor Dal are underway, but sources suggested that discussions have not been progressing smoothly.

Congress sources said seat-sharing arrangements with the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Left parties are almost finalised. An official announcement is awaited from the party’s high command.

As political negotiations intensify, both the ruling NDA and the opposition camp are working to conclude alliances and seat-sharing deals in the run-up to the state polls.

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