The collapse of the coalition government in Karnataka on Tuesday sets the stage for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to stake claim to power in the southern state and likely marks the return of 76-year-old Lingayat strongman BS Yeddyurappa to the chief minister’s chair for the fourth time.
All eyes are now on governor Vajubhai Vala, who accepted chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s resignation late on Tuesday and asked him to lead a caretaker government.
In the 225-member assembly, the BJP is the single largest party with 105 legislators. Yeddyurappa said he will meet Vala to stake claim after consulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.
“We are going to have a legislature party meet now,” he told reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday night.
Senior BJP leader R Ashoka said the party is likely to meet the governor to form the next government on Wednesday.