Bengaluru : Karnataka Governor Vajubhai R Vala on Saturday invited JDS’ Janata Dal (Secular) legislative party leader HD Kumaraswamy to form the next government in the state, following the resignation of BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa ahead of his trust vote.

“The Governor has invited me to form the next government as the leader of the JD-S legislative party with the support of the Congress, which is our alliance partner,” Kumaraswamy told reporters after meeting Vala at Raj Bhavan and staked claim to power after the three-day BJP government fell.

The 58-year-old JD (S) leader also said the Governor had given him 15 days to prove majority in the 224-member legislative assembly, whose strength is currently 222.

Kumaraswamy who was earlier slated to take oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka on May 21 between 12 noon and 1 pm– will now swear-in on May 23.

Speaking to media, HD Kumaraswamy reasoned, “We are going to take oath on Wednesday, May 23, as Monday (May 21) is Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary and so that is not a proper date.”

He also added, “West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, and Telangana Chief Minister KC Rao congratulated me. Mayawati ji has also blessed me. I have invited all regional leaders for oath ceremony. I’ve also invited Sonia Gandhi ji and Rahul Gandhi ji personally.”

A little ahead of the appointed time of trust vote at 4 pm on Saturday, Yeddyurappa made an emotional speech, saying the BJP didn’t get the numbers needed to prove majority in the House. “I will lose nothing if I lose power, my life is for the people,” he said.

Lamenting that hundreds of farmers had committed suicides across the state during the last five years, Yeddyurappa said the Congress could not ensure water for irrigating the farmlands in the state even 70 years after the Independence.

“My aim is to serve farmers till my last breath. I will also continue to serve all the people, including the Dalits, backward classes, weaker sections and the poor,” reiterated Yeddyurappa who was the first BJP Chief Minister in south India when the party came to power on its own in Karnataka in 2008 assembly election.

In his 15-minute address to the House, the 75-year-old BJP leader said there was no way he could have served the people of Karnataka, as the Congress was not allowing its MLAs even to speak to their family members.

Of the 222 seats, the BJP won 104, Congress 78, JDS 37, and one each was bagged by the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Karnataka Pragnyavantha.