Will BJP, which made compromises galore in the last 20 months, accept one more compromise demand from coalition partner JD (S) to dump Minister G Sriramulu in exchange for power transfer ?

BJP's compromises began after the single largest party in the Karnataka Assembly missed a chance to form the Government post-2004 Assembly election and, instead, entered into a Twenty20 power sharing pact with JD (S) when the latter dumped Congress in early 2006 and sought to remain in power.

BJP, with 79 MLAs of its own, dropped a  second chance to call the shots by ignoring poll ally JD (U), which has five MLAs, and agreeing to pair with JD (S) for the sake of instant power.

It could at least have tried to reach the magical figure of 113 for a simple majority in the 225-member House, by mustering support of Independents and asking JD (S) to back its government instead. On the contrary, it agreed to be the lesser half in the coalition.

When its own MLC G Janardhana Reddy levelled the Rs 150 crore bribe for mining contracts charge against Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, BJP looked the other way and continued its partnership. It even suspended the legislator into the bargain.

Then came the attacks on the Bangalore-Mysore expressway project and its promoter Ashok Kheny of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), until the project was practically put on hold by the Chief Minister and his father H D Deve Gowda. BJP and Yediyurappa, in particular, though known to favour the project, chose to ignore and left Kheny to fend for himself.

The latest onslaught on BJP is the Sriramulu episode in which an attempt to murder complaint against the Chief Minister in Bellary in connection with the local body polls, has fuelled JD (S) to demand the head of the minister, a Janardhana Reddy loyalist.

Gowda and son duo have also extended their control to BJP's central leaders by targetting its Bellary MP G Karunakara Reddy, a camp follower of party President Rajnath Singh and senior leader L K Advani. After all, the trio were defending the cause of the party in the polls.

Though BJP is said to have protected the Reddy brothers, thus far, for financing the party, it may not be needed in the future if JD (S), indeed, hands over the mantle of power to BJP as quid pro quo for punishing the Bellary trio, Sriramulu included. Will BJP accept the final compromise remains to be seen.