The Bharatiya Janata Party appears to be treading a cautious path after the coalition asked all its Ministers to resign to make way for fresh faces as a last-ditch effort to save its government.
Though the BJP leaders are learnt to have lined up a few more MLAs from the ruling combine to quit their Assembly membership and switch sides, the saffron party is reportedly sceptical and is taking measures to re-instil confidence in them.
Also, the BJP is learnt to have kept a close check on the movements of some of its own “vulnerable” MLAs, who are allegedly being eyed by the ruling combine. However, the party has not yet resorted to any flock-keeping exercise.
Meanwhile, the BJP which held a meeting of its legislature party on Monday, decided to hold the meeting again on Tuesday to review the situation afresh.
The party, which feels that it is almost at the altars of being a majority in the Assembly following the resignations of 13 ruling MLAs and withdrawal of support to the coalition government by two Independents, is now looking at Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar’s decision. The party feels that it would be able to form the government through a floor test if the Speaker accepts the resignations quickly.
State-wide protest
The BJP has decided to hold a State-wide protest on Tuesday demanding that Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy resign in the wake of a large number of ruling MLAs tendering resignations.
BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru that the Chief Minister had lost moral right to continue in power in the wake of these resignations. He maintained that the coalition government had lost majority after 13 MLAs quit and two Independents withdrew their support to it.