PTI
IMPHAL
In a ripple effect stemming from developments in Karnataka, the Congress in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya and the RJD in Bihar, which were the single largest party in the respective States, on Thursday said they will approach the State Governors and stake claim for government formation.
The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party with 104 seats in Karnataka Assembly, was invited by Governor Vajubhai Vala on Wednesday to form the government despite the JD(S)-Congress combine staking claim by citing the support of 117 MLAs. The majority mark is 112 seats. Elections were held for all but two of the 224 seats. B S Yeddyurappa took oath as chief minister in Bengaluru Thursday morning.
Goa Congress Legislature Party chief Chandrakant Kavlekar said the party will stake claim on Friday by submitting to Governor Mridula Sinha a formal letter containing signatures of all the 16 party MLAs. The Governor has given 12 noon time for the meeting with the Congress leaders.
In the Assembly elections held in March last year, the Congress bagged 17 seats in the 40-member House, falling short of the majority figure by four seats. One MLA later resigned and joined the BJP.
In Bihar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said his party will also request the Bihar Governor to dissolve the state Assembly and like in Karnataka invite the single largest party, which in the state is his party.
Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad and the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly, told reporters in Patna he has sought an appointment with the Governor Satyapal Malik on Friday before whom we wish to submit that there cannot be double standards”.
The JD(U)-BJP alliance together with other allies have 131 seats in the 243 Assembly. However, the RJD is still the single largest party with 80 MLAs.
Yadav said if the BJP was invited by the Karnataka Governor to form the government on the ground that it was the single largest party, then the RJD also had the right to form the government.
“We will request the Bihar Governor to dismiss the state government and invite the RJD to form the government,” he said.
“I will meet the Governor along with our MLAs as we are the single largest party in Bihar,” tweeted Yadav.
Former Manipur chief
Goa Cong to meet Governor today
PANAJI: The Congress in Goa has sought an appointment with Goa Governor Mridula Sinha on Friday at 10 am as the party says it will demand to be invited to form a government given that they are the single largest party in the state.
The Governor has confirmed an appointment at around 12 noon for the meeting.
The move is in response to the Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala calling the BJP to form the government in Karnataka because it was the single largest party ignoring the numbers offered by the Congress and the JD(S) in Karnataka.
A letter signed by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar seeking an appointment has been released to the media.
“Even after securing 17 seats at the recent elections the Governor of Goa refused to acknowledge our party as the single largest party and did not invite them to form the government,” Yatish Naik said.
