Invite Yeddyurappa to form govt in Karnataka : BJP

New Delhi, Oct 29 (UNI) Taking exception to the delay in installing a popular government in Karnataka, the BJP today urged Governor Rameshwar Thakur to invite party leader B S Yeddyurappa to display his majority in the state Assembly.

Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told newspersons here that it was over 72 hours after the BJP-JD(S) leaders staked claim to form the government and ''we don't understand the delay in inviting the leader who has the support of majority legislators in the Assembly.'' He said the BJP apprehended that the Congress was playing its old game of denying power to non-Congress parties be it Goa or Jharkhand in the past. It wants to get power through the back door, he alleged.

He said the BJP and JD(S) MLAs were submitting their individual affidavits before the Governor though it was not legally required and his latest information was that about 45 JD(S) MLAs had signed their affidavits.

Mr Naidu said the Congressmen were spreading rumours of dissolution of Assembly showing the letter of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda written on October 24. ''Now I understand that Mr Gowda has written another letter withdrawing his earlier letter,'' he said.

''The situation now in Karnataka is either there should be the government of Mr Yedidyurappa in place or elections. The Governor should go by the accepted norms and procedures for government formation and allow the BJP to have its first ever government in South India.'' About the possibility of the Governor inviting former Karnataka minister M P Prakash who hasd the backing of the Congress, Mr Naidu said Mr Prakash could not be invited because he was not a JDLP leader. So far, nobody had questioned Mr Kumaraswamy's leadership and he enjoyed the majority in the JD(S), he added.

Asked if the government had the support of JD(S) president H D Deve Gowda, Mr Naidu said this effort had the blessings of the former prime minister. The party was skeptical when it got JD (S) message of supporting the BJP led coalition. The party got convinced only after Mr Gowda himself confirmed the claims of his junior leaders.

UNI