Karnataka: Sonia, Rahul will attend HD Kumaraswamy’s swearing-in

Ahead of his swearing-in as Karnataka's new chief minister, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy on May 21 evening met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Delhi, to personally invite them for his swearing-in ceremony.

The JD(S) (37 MLAs) has been invited to form the government in Karnataka alongwith the Congress Party (78 MLAs). Together with Bahujan Samaj Party MLA and two independent MLAs, they command a majority of 118 in the hung Karnataka assembly. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats, but after the three-day BJP government collapsed last Saturday with BS Yeddyurappa, unable to muster the required number for a majority, Kumaraswamy was invited by Governor Vajubhai Vala to take the reins of power.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi tweeted shortly after the meeting that, “ I had a warm and cordial meeting this evening, in Delhi, with Shri HD Kumaraswamy ji. We discussed the political situation in Karnataka and other matters of mutual interest. I will be attending his swearing in as CM of Karnataka, on Wednesday, in Bengaluru.”

The Congress Party also confirmed that UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress President Rahul Gandhi would be in attendance when HD Kumaraswamy takes his oath as CM of Karnataka on May 23.

During his 20-minute meeting with Sonia and Rahul, Kumaraswamy is understood to have discussed the nitty-gritty of Cabinet formation on the number of ministerial berths the Congress and the JD(S) would get. The meeting took place at Rahul's Tughlak Lane residence. AICC Karnataka in-charge KC Venugopal was also present.

According to sources, Congress has mooted two deputy chief ministers for the numerically stronger party in order to strike a balance with the JD(S) but the regional party is believed to be not in favour of this proposal. KPCC chief G Parameshwara is among the frontrunners for the deputy chief minister's post.

Kumaraswamy, who will be sworn in as chief minister on Wednesday for the second time in 12 years, flew into the capital this afternoon and began his engagements with a meeting with pre-poll ally BSP chief Mayawati. Kumaraswamy said 22 parties have been invited for the swearing-in ceremony.

Kumaraswamy is expected to take the floor test within 24 hours of being sworn in. Both Congress and JD(S) MLAs will remain confined to their hotels till the floor test, according to reports from Bengaluru.

With PTI inputs