President okays central rule in K'taka

President Pratibha Patil accepts cabinet's decision to impose Central rule and keep the state assembly in suspended animation.

President Pratibha Patil has approved the cabinet's recommendation to impose Central rule in Karnataka. The state assembly will now be placed under suspended animation.

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Earlier on Tuesday, the Centre decided to impose President's Rule in the state but surprisingly kept the assembly under suspended animation. The decision was taken in the aftermath of collapse of the week-old BJP-led government in Karnataka on Monday.

The early morning cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to accept Governor Rameshwar Thakur's recommendation that President's Rule be imposed in the state and the Assembly be kept under suspended animation.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs had met last night to assess the political situation on the basis of the Governor's report in the wake of the collapse of the BJP-led government following ally JD(S)' refusal to support it.

The Centre's decision to impose President's Rule, the second time in the last two months, brings to an end the political drama that was witnessed in the state on the issue of transfer of power between coalition partners BJP and JD(S).

Karnataka was under Central rule for 34 days from October nine to November 12 after the fall of JD(S)-BJP coalition government headed by HD Kumaraswamy and the state assembly was kept under suspended animation.

The saffron party's BS Yeddyurappa was sworn in as Chief Minister of the first BJP-led government in the South on November eight.