INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kumaraswamy said the JDS and the Congress will discuss a plan to ensure smooth running of the governmentBengaluru:
HD Kumaraswamy picked up his invite to be Karnataka's next chief minister from Governor Vajubhai Vala on Saturday evening, hours
after the governor's first, but controversial choice to run the state - BS Yeddyurappa - sent in his resignation
As he walked out of Raj Bhavan, Mr Kumaraswamy, the nominee of Congress-Janata Dal Secular alliance for the chief minister's job, said he
had a date for his swearing-in
It seems he also had a tentative guest list ready.The JDS leader has invited West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Chief
Minister Chandrababu Naidu, BSP chief Mayawati and others for the swearing-in ceremony, which will be held between noon and 1 pm on Monday
He said he will also invite Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi."Mamata Banerjee, Chandrababu Naidu and K
Chandrasekhar Rao congratulated me
Mayawati ji has also blessed me
I have invited all regional leaders for oath ceremony
I've also invited Sonia Gandhi ji Rahul Gandhi ji personally," Mr Kumawaswamy said after meeting the governor in Bengaluru.Mr Kumaraswamy,
58, said tonight his JDS and the Congress will sit together and figure out their plans to run the government smoothly
Sources say the deputy chief minister will likely be from the Congress. BS Yeddyurappa gave a 20-minute long speech at the Karnataka
assembly before quitting as chief ministerTaking a jibe at the BJP and Mr Yeddyurappa, he said the JDS-Congress combine will call for an
assembly session to prove majority as soon as possible
"We don't need 15 days," he said.Today's trust vote for the Yeddyurappa government was ordered by the Supreme Court yesterday on a petition
by the Congress and JDS challenging the governor's decision inviting Mr Yeddyurappa to form the government and prove his majority in 15 days
after election results were announced on Tuesday.Mr Yeddyurappa's resignation paved way for the Congress-JDS combine to form the government
The two parties were quick to form an alliance with JDS chief HD Kumaraswamy as their head after the Karnataka results put them in second
Together they have 117 members, enough for an outright majority.
