Governor should have invited BJP 13 days ago: Venkaiah Naidu

Chennai, Nov 8 (UNI) Senior Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leader Venkaiah Naidu today observed that the party should have been allowed to form the new coalition government with JD(S) 13 days ago when it proved its majority to Governor Rameshwar Thakur.

Talking to newspersons at the airport here this evening, he said the BJP had proved to the Governor that it had adequate numbers to form the governemnt 13 days ago. ''We had proved our majority then.

''Later, we met President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi and paraded our 129 MLAs before her and proved the majority'', Mr Naidu said.

But the Congress was trying to come to power by the backdoor'', he pointed out. He also alleged that the Congress had been trying to split the JD(S).

But after the BJP proved its majority before the President, the Centre had no other alternative and invited the party to form the government in Karnataka, he said, adding ''this is a big victory to the people of Karnataka and the BJP.'' More UNI