M A I N   N E W S

Yeddyurappa in Delhi with his 121 MLAs, to meet President today
* Says will parade his legislators before Patil to prove majority
* NDA delegation calls on PM, slams K’taka Governor Bhardwaj
TNS & Agencies

Jaitley questions SC verdict New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Monday said the Supreme Court judgment quashing disqualification of 11 BJP MLAs is "erroneous" as it is based on the premise that they only wanted to replace the Chief Minister but did not want the government to fall. In an article published on BJP website, Jaitley says the SC’s conclusions based on a letter written by the rebel MLAs to Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj on October 6, 2010 may not be correct. — PTI

Bangalore/New Delhi, May 16
The ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) in Karnataka has taken the battle to save its government to New Delhi and plans to parade all its party legislators before President Pratibha Patil to prove its majority.

Beleaguered Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa reached the national capital tonight along with his 121 MLAs. He will meet the President tomorrow. An NDA delegation, led by LK Advani and other senior BJP leaders, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and slammed Karnataka Governor HR Bhardwaj for recommending dismissal of the Yeddyurappa government.

The state Assembly has 225 members, including one nominated. One seat is vacant. The Congress has 71 members, the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) 26 while there are six Independents, one of whom is supporting the BJP.

"We have the majority and all our legislators and parliamentarians will be in Delhi. We will parade all our legislators to prove the majority, if the President agrees to it," Yeddyurappa earlier told reporters after an emergency Cabinet meeting in Bangalore.

He flayed Governor HR Bhardwaj for recommending dismissal of his government. Bhardwaj had sent a "special report" to the Central government on Karnataka developments following the Supreme Court restoring the membership of 16 rebel lawmakers - 11 of the BJP and five Independents.

Though the report has not been made public, Yeddyurappa, fearing that Bhardwaj has sought his government's dismissal, wrote to Patil yesterday urging her to reject the "unconstitutional recommendation".

Demanding Bhardwaj's immediate recall, the BJP held a rally in Bangalore and threatened statewide agitation in case the government is dismissed.

The state Cabinet also asked Bhardwaj to convene an Assembly session from June 2. The Cabinet had called the session for May 16, soon after the May 13 apex court verdict restoring the membership of 16 rebels. But Bhardwaj did not give his nod for it and instead recommended the government's dismissal.