BJP mulls early polls in Karnataka
Amid growing demand for Karnataka chief minister Jagdish Shettar’s resignation after 14 legislators of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) joined hands with former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, the party’s central leadership is considering facing early polls in the southern state.
BJP’s problems increased yesterday when 14 MLA, including six ministers, attended Yeddyurappa’s breakfast meeting and then a massive public rally the former BJP leader organised in Haveri to officially launch his Karnataka Janata Party.
BJP leaders have threatened to take disciplinary action against those members who attended the rally and a final decision is expected on Wednesday.
“We cannot deny that there is a possibility of an early election since there are people in the party who support Yeddyurappa. But going to a political rally of another party is not the real problem. The main difficulty for the party is facing a trust vote in the assembly because that will show how many people are with Yeddyurappa,” said a senior BJP leader, who did not want to be named.
While the leadership is mulling various options to deal with its rebel members, a section within the party is of the view that the 14 MLAs should be suspended so that they could not vote in the assembly, in case there is a vote.
Among the people who have sided with Yeddyurappa are C M Udasi, minister of public works, power minister Shobha Karandlaje, water resource minister Basavaraj Bommai, industry minister Murugesh Nirani, excise minister M P Renukacharya and animal husbandry minister Revu Naik Belamagi.
“The real test for BJP is when these rebel MLAs defy the whip of the party to help Yeddyurappa,” added the BJP leader.
In the 225-member state assembly, BJP has the support of 118 MLAs, but if the 14 rebel MLAs vote against the government, then it could fall.
Yeddyurappa has claimed he has the backing of more than 40 MLAs, but he doesn’t want to bring down the BJP government since assembly election is due in May next year.
Sensing trouble for BJP, opposition parties led by the Congress are expected to meet Governor H R Bharadwaj to demand the BJP government prove its majority in the House.