The countdown for the transfer of power to the BJP has begun but at the same time the anxiety and uneasiness in the party seems to be heading north by the day.
While BJP leaders are leaving no opportunity to exude confidence in public that transfer of power will be smooth, party sources reveal that they are apprehensive about the whole affair.
They have enough reasons to worry. For one, the JD (S) is sending mixed signals on whether Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy will actually demit office on October 3.
“There is a lot of apprehension. Though we have been directed not to express it in the open, the fear that the JD (S) may ditch us at the last minute is there,” a senior BJP leader said on the eve of the State executive meeting scheduled on Sunday which is likely to discuss these issues.
The recent meeting of Congress President Sonia Gandhi with JD (S) leader H D Deve Gowda in New Delhi has added fuel to the speculation that the Congress is once again interested in joining hands with the JD (S) to form the government and its aim seems to be thwart the BJP coming to power in the South.
At the same time,  the JD (S)’ decision not to support the NDA candidate B S Shekhawat in the Presidential election has increased the uneasiness in the party.
Internal squabbles
Then, there is the issue of addressing the internal squabbles in the party. A section of legislators are said to be unhappy with the style of functioning of Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and are working towards continuing the existing arrangement headed by Kumaraswamy.
During their recent interaction with the RSS, these legislators and two senior ministers are said to have blamed Mr Yediyurappa for sidelining and ignoring them by taking “unilateral decisions”.
Committees
The office-bearers meeting, meanwhile, resolved to constitute committees to visit drought and flood hit regions of the State and submit a report to the government.