CCPA to discuss Karnataka situation

New Delhi, Nov 1: The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) will meet here today to discuss the ongoing political situation in Karnataka.

During the meeting, the CCPA will discuss the 'comprehensive" report sent by Governor Rameshwar Thakur to President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday.

Thakur also sent the copies of the report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Shivraj Patil amidst mounting demands from the BJP for formation of a BJP-JD (S) Government in the state,

The CCPA is reported to recommend for revocation of the President Rule and revival of the Karnataka Assembly.

A Congress Core Group also held its meeting, which was attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, top party leaders and Union Ministers.

The meeting was held after senior BJP leaders met Dr. Singh and urged him to revoke the President's rule in the State.

A delegation of BJP leaders includes President Rajnath Singh, L K Advani and Venkaiah Naidu.

After the meeting, Naidu said that Singh assured them that the Centre would go by the spirit of the Constitution. He also said that the Prime Minister has not set any timeframe for it.

Governor Thakur has apparently refused to accept the deadlines set by the BJP.

Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that her party would parade the 129 MLAs supporting the BJP-JDS combine before the President.

Meanwhile, AICC General Secretary Prithviraj Chavan rejected the view that Congress planned to form a government.

Chavan, who is in-charge of Congress affairs in Karnataka, said, "We are discussing possibilities of early elections".

Earlier, both the parties had paraded their 129 MLAs in front of Thakur to show their majority to form the next Government in the State

Three weeks after a bitter public spat and BJP's withdrawal of support from the its coalition with the JD (S), both parties came together last weekend deciding to form the next coalition in the State under B S Yediyurappa's leadership.

Former Deputy Chief Minister and a senior JD (S) leader M P Prakash has already revolted against his party's decision to back the BJP.

Prakash, who revolted against the party supremo H D Deve Gowda, says that the support letter submitted by the JD (S) leadership to the Governor in support of the formation of the BJP-led government is "invalid and illegal".

He claims that he has the support of 31 JD (S) MLAs.

In the present State Assembly, which has been kept under suspended animation, the BJP has highest number of legislators with 79 MLAs, followed by the Congress with 65 MLAs, which excludes the eight other members led by former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who broke away from the JD (S) to join the Congress.

Kumaraswamy led JD (S) has officially 57 members in the legislature, but its strength is down to 48 after Siddaramaiah's defection.

The smaller parties and independents only add to 17 in the 224-member Assembly.

ANI
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