Bengaluru: Contrary to state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa’s statement that his party was not power hungry, and would give up efforts at forming the government, senior leaders believe the BJP has won half the battle, and a serious effort at toppling the government has not commenced.
Mr Yeddyurappa’s statement came on a day when all 104 BJP MLAs returned to the city from Gurugram but some senior leaders felt the party won half the battle as four rebel Congress MLAs skipped the crucial legislature party meeting on Friday, preceded by two independent MLAs withdrawing support to the Congress-JD (S) coalition government. These leaders are now confident that some more Congress legislators, who were dithering about turning rebels, would join the four who skipped the CLP and revolt against the government, opening up possibilities for the BJP to form its government. “We feel the game is yet to begin in the true sense,” they added.
Mr. Yeddyurappa took the decision to summon MLAs from Gurugram on Friday night, and instructed them to return to Bengaluru by Saturday evening. Therefore, all MLAs returned to Bengaluru, and left for their respective constituencies to assess the drought situation. Public criticism was one of the reasons for Mr. Yeddyurappa to change plans and summon MLAs to Bengaluru, sources added.
Meanwhile, sources close to Mr. Yeddyurappa told this newspaper " the absence of four MLAs at CLP meeting on Friday signifies the fact that BJP has won the half battle. Very soon, four to five MLAs will follow suit. Our first aim is to dislodge this anti-people’s government. That will definitely happen notwithstanding attempts by the Congress to confine MLAs in a resort", sources added.
BJP leaders do not plan to ask rebel MLAs of Congress to resign their membership at this juncture, but will wait for another four to five MLAs to return from the resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Once the party gets the support of nine rebel MLAs, the government will be reduced to minority (below 113) in the Assembly, and the party will adopt its next strategy of urging the Governor to ask the Chief Minister to prove his majority in the Assembly, sources added.
