Karnataka swings: BJP's next move tomorrow

New Delhi: BJP is playing a wait and-watch game in Karnataka and will plot its next move after assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar takes a call on the resignations of Congress and JDS MLAs on Tuesday. BJP is expecting some more defections in the next few days.

Kumar will take a decision on the resignations of 10 Congress and three JDS MLAs on July 9. While the two parties have alleged that BJP is engineering the resignations, BJP has blamed it on inner party tussles. A floor test is likely when the state assembly convenes this week.

BJP sources said the party was expecting more resignations in the coming days. Based on how this plays out, BJP will make the move on forming the government in the state. BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa is said to be keen on becoming chief minister again and the party is likely to bow to his wish if the numbers are in its favour.


Holding assembly elections is likely to be beneficial for BJP as it may get a majority because of the anti-incumbency against the JDS-Congress regime and the daily infighting within Congress.

However, BJP state unit leaders are not much in favour of the idea, sources said. If BJP does manage to form the government, it will have to deal with Congress-JDS defectors by ensuring their victory in the byelections and by giving them a berth in the council of ministers.

In the recent Lok Sabha polls, BJP won 25 out of 28 seats. JDS head HD Deve Gowda (Tumkur) as well as senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge (Gulbarga) and M Veerappa Moily (Chikkballapur) lost the elections.

Elections to the 224-member Karnataka assembly were held in May 2018 in which BJP emerged as the largest party, with 105 MLAs but short of the majority mark of 113.

Congress with 79 MLAs supported JDS that had 37 MLAs and gave the CM’s post to Kumaraswamy. After the 13 resignations, the strength of the assembly is 211, with 106 as the majority mark. BJP and BSP (1) can form the government. A few more resignations will further lower the magic number in the assembly.