Bengaluru: Determined to accommodate the disqualified legislators whether they win or lose in the December 5 bypolls to 15 assembly seats, the ruling BJP is planning to ask its members in the state Legislative Council to be ready to sacrifice their seats for the defeated, disqualified MLAs.
Highly placed sources told Deccan Chronicle that state leaders are not sure of winning all 15 assembly seat. So, as per the committment made to these disqualified MLAs at the time they tendered their resignations, the BJP has to make them ministers by nominating them to the Upper House by asking the existing members to make way for them.
The party is sure of winning more than eight seats which is sufficient to ensure the stability of the BJP government headed by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa for the next three and a half years. To keep the promise made to the disqualified MLAs, the party has worked out a plan to request its members to quit for the sake of the defeated candidates. Already, the CM has conveyed this to his close associates in the Upper House and they too have reportedly agreed to sacrifice their posts for them.
According to sources, the BJP leaders feel they have only a 50:50 chance of winning in KR Pete, Hunsur, Athani, Mahalakshmi Layout, Shivajinagar and Hosakote due to the tacit understanding between the Congress and JD(S).
Besides, forces within the saffron party are reportedly not working aggressively enough for the disqualified legislators as they suspect that these new entrants may return to their original parties after enjoying power in the BJP government.
A BJP MLC told Deccan Chronicle that the party was only mulling over the proposal to nominate the defeated disqualified legislators to the Upper House as it thinks it is capable of winning at least a dozen seats. He admitted that the BJP was facing a tough fight in three to four constituencies adding that efforts are being made to woo voters.
“ I am ready to quit if my party asks me to do so,” he added.
