This question was rife among political circles soon after the high political drama on Monday, which culminated in Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy tendering his resignation.

As the political heat peaked in Bangalore, Mr Yediyurappa, who had launched the “punish promise breakers and save Karnataka” campaign from Tumkur, rushed back to Bangalore via a helicopter.

Sources said some BJP leaders, including Mr Yediyurappa, were told a section of JD(S) legislators had expressed unhappiness over their party’s decision not to transfer power. His hopes were rekindled when many JD(S) MLAs indicated their willingness to support a BJP-led government.

Swamijis of two prominent maths belonging to Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities are said to have opened the channel of negotiations. The formula worked out by religious heads was Kumaraswamy will continue as CM for three more months and Yediyurappa would take over as CM for the next 17 months.

By late evening, speculation was rife that Yediyurappa would meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur and request him to provide the BJP an opportunity to explore possibility of forming an alternative government.  Number-wise, the party - which has a strength of 79 members in the Assembly - falls short by 34 to reach the magic number of 113.
However, sources said the RSS and the central leadership advised Yediyurappa not to go ahead for any kind of tie-up with the JD(S).

The central leaders are said to have made it clear the party would lose political and moral leverage if it tied up with JD(S) and that too at a stage the party had already decided to go to the people on the “betrayal” over the power transfer issue. A majority of BJP legislators were of the same view.

Yet, the wait continued for the evasive channel of negotiation and finally reality struck around 9 pm when Kumaraswamy announced it was quits.