An attempt to revive the JD(S)-BJP coalition in Karnataka fell through tonight as Governor Rameshwar Thakur moved to recommend President’s rule. Earlier, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who was told by the Governor to step down since he lacked the numbers to prove majority, submitted his resignation after refusing to transfer power to the BJP.

A Raj Bhavan official said: “We are strictly going by the SR Bommai case and His Excellency has recorded that in the present situation, President’s rule must be imposed. Whether the House will be in suspended animation will be decided only by the Centre.”

The official Raj Bhavan communique will be issued tomorrow.

Signing off, Kumaraswamy said: “A hung assembly causes lots of problems. I would like to ask voters to give a majority verdict to one party. It is a game of fate and we can’t do anything in it,” he said.

He was summoned by the Governor after the Congress said it would not support the minority JD(S) government.