BS Yeddyurappa, who was sworn in on Thursday, would be a “one-day Chief Minister”, the Congress said, expressing confidence that the Supreme Court would take a stand on the constitutional validity of the BJP strongman’s government during its hearing on Friday.

The Congress also said its legislature parties in Goa, Manipur and Meghalaya would stake claim to form the government, since it is the single-largest party in these States. In Bihar, the RJD, an ally of the Congress, would approach the Governor.

The party said it hoped that Yeddyurappa’s letters to the Governor, dated May 15 and May 16, would convince the court that the BJP does not have numbers in the Karnataka Assembly. “Even otherwise, if the apex court asks for a floor test, we are sure that the BJP will not be able to get the required numbers. It is a win-win situation for us,” a senior Congress leader said.

The party’s media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said Yeddyurappa would be a “one-day Chief Minister”. “The swearing-in of Yeddyurappa was in defiance of the clear-cut direction of the Supreme Court. Governor (Vajubhai Vala) has proved that he will trample upon the Constitution, subjugate democratic values, demolish established precedents and dicta of the Supreme Court to install a BJP chief minister working as BJP karyakarta, ” Surjewala added.

He said the Congress would observe ‘Save Democracy Day’ in district headquarters across the country, and hold protests against the Centre. Surjewala said the Congress will expose the misdeeds of the BJP and highlight how “democracy was murdered in broad daylight”. “There can’t be two constitutions and two laws in the country. It should be one and same for Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and other 130 crore people of this country,” Surjewala said, and demanded that the governments in Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya and Bihar must immediately resign as the single-largest party was not given an opportunity to make a government.

Attacking the Governor, he said Vala had sacrificed his seat in the Gujarat Vidhan Sabha in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the Chief Minister then. “Yesterday (Wednesday) evening and then today (Thursday) morning, Vala sacrificed the Constitution and democracy for Modi.”

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said India will “mourn the defeat of democracy” since a party without the numbers was being allowed to form a government. “The BJP’s irrational insistence that it will form a govt in Karnataka, even though it clearly doesn’t have the numbers, is to make a mockery of our Constitution. This morning, while the BJP celebrates its hollow victory, India will mourn the defeat of democracy,” he tweeted.

Surjewala said the BJP cannot make 104 to 112 as no MLA will go with them. “At the floor of the Assembly, the BJP will be decimated,” he said. “Yeddyurappa is a Chief Minister manufactured by Vajubhai Vala in Raj Bhawan with absolute minority and under the dictates of Modi and Shah. Naturally, he may resort to many manufactured lies. The only political party and political coalition which will provide a stable, progressive Government to Karnataka is that of Congress and JD(S) and that is what 6.5 crore ‘Kannadigas’ are waiting for,” he said

PTI reports:

Meanwhile, Rahul, who made his first public appearance after the results of the election on Tuesday, said the Constitution is under “severe attack”,even as he said the judiciary and the press were under “fear” that usually happens in Pakistan under “dictatorship” and some African countries ruled by Generals.

“The Constitution is under severe attack in the country... In Karnataka, the MLAs are on one side and the Governor on the other and you know what attempt is being made,” the Congress President said addressing a ‘Jan Swaraj Sammelan’ here on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution which are related to local self-governance.

“The JD(S) leader has said its MLAs were offered ₹100 crore,” he said, apparently referring to HD Kumaraswamy’s sensational allegation.

The Amethi MP also accused the BJP and the RSS of capturing every democratic institution in country.

“One after another, you can see every democratic institution in the country, like the MPs, MLAs, the press and the Planning Commission...the RSS is trying to induct its people,” the Congress leader said.

All these institutions collectively form the voice of the country and the RSS and the BJP are trying to suppress these voices, he claimed.

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