Karnataka: Congress to file RTI seeking BJP's letter to governor

BJP delegation, led by B.S. Yeddyurappa, submitted the letter on Wednesday

Congress-JD(S) party leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge, H.D. Deve Gowda and Gulam Nabi Azad, protesting outside the Gandhi statue next to the Vidhana Soudhain Bengaluru on Thursday Congress-JD(S) party leaders, including Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun Kharge, H.D. Deve Gowda and Gulam Nabi Azad, protesting outside the Gandhi statue next to the Vidhana Soudhain Bengaluru on Thursday

The Congress party has taken its tooth-and-nail fight against the BJP one step further. In an unprecedented move on Thursday, the Congress has decided to file an RTI application seeking the content of the BJP's letter to Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala that claimed that they have the numbers to form the government. 

According to media reports, the Congress will be filing an RTI application soon seeking the letter that the BJP, led by now sworn-in chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, submitted to the governor on Wednesday claiming that they are the single largest party and hence, should be given a chance to form the government and prove numbers. Apparently, Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala granted the BJP 15 days time to prove the numbers, instead of a week's time that the BJP had asked for.

Amid a high-voltage drama and race for power in Karnataka, BJP leader B.S Yeddyurappa was sworn in on Thursday as the 23rd chief minister of the state. The swearing-in came a few hours after the Supreme Court refused to issue a stay order on a petition filed by the Congress-JD(S) combine.

Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office to Yeddyurappa at 9 am in the 'Glass House' of Raj Bhavan amid tight security.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders are staging a protest in front of the Gandhi statue next to the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, on Thursday against the swearing in of B.S. Yeddyurappa as chief minister.

Several senior Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjuna Kharge, party's General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal, sat at the foot of the statue, staging the protest.

The newly elected Congress legislators, who are staying at a resort on the city outskirts, also joined the protest.

Janata Dal (Secular) legislators and leaders will also be joining the agitation soon, party sources said.

Earlier on Wednesday night, the Congress-JD (S) combine made a last-ditch attempt to stall the saffron party's surge in the southern state by challenging Governor Vala's decision to invite BJP to form government in the Supreme Court.

The saffron party, with 105 MLAs, including one Independent MLA, is seven short of the halfway mark of 112. The Congress was reduced to 78 seats in the 224-member house while JD(S) managed to win 37 seats.