Dal(S) legislators on their way to the resort. Telegraph picture

Bangalore, Oct. 28: Resorts streamed back into Karnataka’s power games today.

Former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy herded 40 of his Janata Dal (Secular) MLAs to a retreat on the city’s outskirts, a day after they promised unconditional support to a BJP-led government.

Kumaraswamy, son of Dal(S) chief and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, had led these legislators out of the Congress-led coalition and walked into the BJP’s fold in January 2006.

The rush to the “safe” zone was prompted by dissident Dal(S) leader M.P. Prakash, who said Kumaraswamy’s letter to governor Rameshwar Thakur, pledging support to the BJP, was “invalid”.

Prakash, rumoured to be in talks with the Congress, said no meeting of the Dal(S) legislators had been called to authorise the move.

The Dal(S) MLAs are expected to hand over the letters and affidavits to the governor after a meeting with their BJP counterparts tomorrow.

Kumaraswamy spent most of the day trying to woo Prakash back, but without success so far.

B.S. Yediyurappa, the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, claimed the support of 125 MLAs, 12 more than the number required for a majority in the 225-member House.

BJP leader Yashwant Sinha urged the governor to invite the BJP-Dal(S) combine to form a government and prove its majority. In Hyderabad, senior leader M. Venkaiah Naidu also asked Thakur to extend the invitation.