Buoyed by the Gujarat poll success, the BJP central leadership is hoping that it may propel former Karnataka minister M P Prakash and his supporters to join  the party is and rushing former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha  to Bangalore to take “a realistic stock” of the situation in the State.
“I would be reaching Bangalore on Thursday to attend a party meet of state leaders on Friday, for discussions on the overall strategy for the forthcoming elections in the state”, Sinha told Deccan Herald.
Asked whether the Modi factor may affect the Karnataka poll results, the BJP leader-in-charge of state said, “The Modi effect operates all over India and its impact would also be on Karnataka,” he said. The Modi impact would be “felt by Karnataka”, as it would be the first major state to go to polls after Gujarat.
The BJP leadership, however, is keeping its fingers crossed over the decision of Prakash and his supporters and is keenly monitoring the political feelers sent to him by the rival Congress Party. “Let us see what they decide on Thursday and in which way they go”, said one of the senior party leaders.
Negotiations on
The negotiations are continuing even as Prakash, who has quit JDS is to deliberate with his supporters on December 27 to decide whether to join the BJP in view of the Gujarat poll results.
Congress has also invited Prakash and his supporters to join it.
While former minister and Vokkaliga leader G T Devegowda recently quit JDS and joined BJP, another former minister P G R Sindhya  had walked into BSP fold.