Kumaraswamy meets governor to seek more time

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy was summoned by Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Monday and asked to explain his stand about the ongoing political crisis. The government led by Kumaraswamy was reduced to a minority after the BJP withdrew its support on Sunday.

Sources said that during the hour-long meeting with the chief minister, the governor asked Kumaraswamy to make his stance clear. Thakur also wanted to know the Janata Dal – Secular's next course of action.

Earlier, leaders from both the BJP and the Congress urged the governor to dismiss the government and impose President's rule in the state.

Kumaraswamy sought time till October 18, so that he could prove his majority in the Legislative Assmebly after a trust vote. The chief minister also told the governor that he will have to consult his party workers before taking any decision. However, Kumaraswamy refused to speak to mediapersons after the meeting.

He, along with his father and JD-S supremo H D Deve Gowda, is expected to take a decision by evening and convey the same to the governor.

Meanwhile, a meeting of state Congress leaders is going on at a guest house in Bangalore. Although the Congress plans to team up with the JD-S at some point of time, the leaders feel that talks should begin only after the government is dismissed by the governor.

The Congress also thinks that in case the two parties fail to reach an agreement, the Assembly should be suspended for a couple of months before the elections are declared. The Congress High Command has instructed state leaders to keep the Bharatiya Janata party from coming to power and to make sure that the state elections don't coincide with the national polls.