Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Wednesday invited BJP legislature party leader B S Yeddyurappa to form the government in Karnataka, capping a day of intense jockeying for power and allegations by the Congress of bribery and horse-trading against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I invite you (Yeddyurappa) to form the government and be sworn-in as the Chief Minister of Karnataka," a Raj Bhavan communique said.

Vala also asked 75-year-old Yeddyurappa to seek a vote of confidence within 15 days of assuming office as the chief minister.

Briefing reporters, BJP General Secretary Muralidhar Rao said Yeddyurappa will take oath tomorrow at 9:00 am.

The governor took the decision after consulting with former Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi, who favoured inviting the single largest party first.

Prime Minister Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah are unlikely to attend the swearing in ceremony, party sources said.

Toiling hard to control the levers of power in Karnataka, Yeddyurappa and H D Kumaraswamy, the leader of the newly formed JD(S)-Congress alliance had earlier met Vala and staked claim to form the government.

With 104 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly, the BJP is the single largest party, while the JD(S)-Congress coalition, formed after the election results were declared, has 116 legislators. It has also claimed support of an independent MLA.

With there being precedents of both governors inviting either the leader of the single largest party or that of a post-poll coalition to form the government, Vala, a former RSS-BJP veteran from Gujarat, opted for the former.

#BJPWinsKarnataka -- @BSYBJP will take oath as the Chief Minister of Karnataka tomorrow morning at 9.30 AM at Raj Bhavan: @BJP4Karnataka tweets

LIVE UPDATES: https://t.co/w8SyTdTcFv pic.twitter.com/TeM8HX6VDx— News18 (@CNNnews18) May 16, 2018

The JDS and Congress had met the governor at the Raj Bhavan when Vala had assured that he will consult legal experts and consider the precedents of Goa and Manipur.

The JDS-Congress combine has 117 MLAs, well clear of the half-way mark. Earlier, the Congress said that it would move the Supreme Court if denied the chance to form the government first.

Meanwhile, DG intelligence has asked all superintendents and commissioners of police across Karnataka to be alert as the Congress and JD(S) may start protests against governors decision to invite the BJP to form the government.

Yeddyurappa, on Wednesday, met the governor and said that he had requested the him to allow the BJP to form government in the state at the earliest.

With agency inputs.

First Published:May 16, 2018 8:34 PM IST