EXCL: Yeddyurappa to be sworn in as Karnataka CM on Thursday at Raj Bhavan, say sources

In a sensational development amid the frantic race to form the Karnataka government, top sources have said to Republic TV that the BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa could be sworn in as Karnataka CM as early as 12:30 pm tomorrow.

As per sources, the Governor of the state, who has been visited by both the BJP which is the single-largest party in the state, and the JD(S)-Congress alliance which claims to have a majority, is ready to give the BJP a shot at forming the government, including time to prove their numbers on the floor of the house.

WATCH: 'BJP Offering Rs 100 Crore Bribes & Cabinet Berths To Poach JD(S) MLAs', Alleges A Combative Kumaraswamy Promising To Fight Fire With Fire

Accordingly, Yeddyurappa has been asked to make arrangements, sources have said, adding that the oath-taking will take place at Raj Bhavan and not the stadium as is the norm. 10 MLAs will be sworn in with him, sources said.

Furthermore, following Republic TV breaking the above information, sources in Yeddyurappa's office confirmed that contact has indeed been made.

Just a short while earlier, the Congress' Dinesh Gundu Rao had said that he doesn't know why Yeddyurappa thinks he'll be sworn in on Thursday as the Governor hadn't given them any indication for the same when they had gone to visit him earlier on Thursday.  

WATCH: Congress Says It Doesn't Know Why BJP's Yeddyurappa Is Saying He'll Be Sworn In As Karnataka CM & Reasons Why It's Taking 79 MLAs To A Resort

The Congress has claimed that all its 78 MLAs have been secured, as has one independent, and the lot of them are to be taken to a resort to protest them from alleged overtures of the BJP.

The BJP had emerged as the single largest party in the Karnataka Assembly elections with 104 seats but had fallen short of crossing the crucial half-way mark. Meanwhile, the Congress with 78 MLAs offered its support to the JD(S)' 37 MLAs to form a government. The JD(S) accepted the Congress' offer and the alliance has claimed to have 117 MLAs -- sufficient for a majority. Both Yeddyurappa (BJP) and Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) have met the Governor of the state on multiple occasions in a span of just 24 hours and staked a claim to form the government. The JD(S) has alleged that the BJP has approached its MLAs and offered them crores of rupees and cabinet berths as bribes in order to poach them, while the Congress has also made similar claims.