MLAs from rival party unhappy, will back us: BJP

BENGALURU: As the political situation remained in a flux on Wednesday, the BJP camp reposed its faith in the “bag of tricks” of their central leadership, under party national president Amit Shah.

Despite Congress and JD(S) joining hands against the saffron party, the mood in BJP was upbeat. The customary congratulations and meeting of old friends at the BJP legislature party meeting bore no impression of the dilemma of a party becoming the single largest and yet unable to form a government.

At the BJPLP meeting, Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and JP Nadda ensured that state party president BS Yeddyurappa was elected unopposed as leader. With only 35 of the 104 MLAs present at the meeting initially, as a majority of them were coming from their constituencies when the decision was taken, BJP rushed to Raj Bhavan to stake claim first as the single largest party, and pre-empt the Congress-JD(S) combine from forming a government.

Later, Yeddyurappa and the other leaders came back to address the newly-elected MLAs from the party. Re-elected for the fourth time, with opponents having given them a run for their money, both CT Ravi from Chikkamagaluru and S Suresh Kumar from Rajajinagar appeared happier than most. “There are several MLAs within JD(S) and Congress who are unhappy with the developments, and are ready to join us. We will form the government,” said Ravi.

According to the official attendance roll, of the 104 BJP MLAs, 69 were present at the meeting, as were 11 MPs and members of the legislative council.