BENGALURU: It was not the bigger coalition partner Congress, but the smaller player JD(S) that was aggressive in putting up Anil Kumar as the united opposition’s ‘independent’ candidate to contest the MLC election. On Friday, as he passed the test of scrutiny, the opposition was hoping for a lucky break and expected him to receive the votes of all opposition parties, plus that of some disgruntled BJP members. But as far as numbers go, Anil Kumar cannot overcome the formidable Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi.

What is at stake is the continuation of Savadi as deputy chief minister. He was not a member of either House when he was elevated to the post on August 20. Mandatorily, he has to get elected within six months, otherwise he has to resign and seek fresh appointment as DyCM, which would be humiliating for the BJP.

From the beginning, Congress has taken a safe line that they do not have the numbers and will not put up a candidate. Off the record, they said that they will support the opposition candidate.  

Interestingly, JD(S) leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy is not fighting this battle, but his brother H D Revanna is.

The party has kept Anil Kumar safe from the influence of BJP as it fears that the ruling party might pressure him to withdraw the candidature. The last date to withdraw the nominations is February 10.
The BJP has 117 seats and is comfortably placed. But if the number of ‘rebel MLAs’ who joined the BJP from Congress and JD(S) are hypothetically subtracted, it would be reduced to 105. The JD(S)-Congress combined has 102 members.

If there is cross-voting from the BJP ranks, the party cannot even act against these members as it has a wafer-thin majority, sources pointed out. “If Anil Kumar wins, it is good for the JDS as it will prove that it has won this round of guerilla warfare. Even if he loses, the party may still not be embarrassed as he is an independent candidate, not attached to any party,’’ they said.