When Karnataka BJP Jumped The Gun With BS Yeddyurappa Swearing-In Tweet

Bengaluru: At 8.31 pm on Wednesday, a tweet put out by the official handle of the Karnataka BJP said the party's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa would be sworn in on Thursday. The post also had a time --- 9.30 am. Except, there had been no official communication from the Raj Bhawan by then.
 As news channels flashed the information quoting the Karnataka BJP, the tweet was deleted moments later.

Another tweet in Kannada by BJP lawmaker Suresh Kumar at 7.56 pm, which too had made a similar claim, was deleted as well.
 BJP lawmaker Murugesh Nirani told NDTV he had got a call to be at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday at 8.30am. Those remarks came even as Raj Bhawan sources said there had been no official word yet.

The anticipation to Mr Yeddyurappa's swearing-in had been building up earlier today in the BJP camp. Long before polling took on May 12, Mr Yeddyurappa had told NDTV that he would take oath on May 17 or 18.

The BJP has emerged the single largest party, winning 104 of the 222 seats on which polling took place. It has staked claim to form the government though the party is still short of eight lawmakers to get to the majority mark.

The JD(S)-Congress combine, which claims to have 116 lawmakers, too has met the governor to get the first shot at government formation.

Minutes after the Karnataka BJP put out the tweet, the social media in-charge of Congress, Divya Spandana, issued a strong counter.

Not @BSYBJP but Kumarswamy to take oath tomorrow morning at 9:30am at RajBhavan: Sources
Same sources as Rahul Kanwal.

— Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) May 16, 2018

To rub it in, she retweeted a post by former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha who quit the party last month.

I am glad I have left the party which is so brazenly trying to subvert democracy in Karnataka. It will do the same if it fails to get majority in Lok Sabha next year. Pl note my warning.

— Yashwant Sinha (@YashwantSinha) May 16, 2018

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief minister tweeted, saying the Karnataka governor had allowed himself to be "used as a rubber stamp".

Once more an occupant of a Raj Bhavan allows himself to be used as a rubber stamp. BJP announces (& then deletes) the details of #Yeddyurappa swearing in slated for tomorrow before it can be officially communicated.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 16, 2018

At 9.25 pm, after an emissary from Raj Bhawan came with a letter to Mr Yeddyurappa's house, the Karnataka BJP tweeted again. The content was the same, only the swearing-in time had been advanced by half an hour.

The moment that crores of Kannadigas are awaiting is here.

Sri @BSYBJP will take oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka tomorrow morning at 9.00 AM at Raj Bhavan.

The movement to build our Suvarna Karnataka has started. #CMBSY

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) May 16, 2018