BJP yet to decide next move

The BJP appears to be going slow on forming its government, especially given that Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar is yet to decide on the resignation or disqualification of the 15 rebel MLAs.

The BJP top brass has asked its state president B S Yeddyurappa not to meet Governor Vajubhai R Vala and stake claim to form the government as yet. Yeddyurappa has been asked to cancel his visit to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah. 

Shah and BJP working president J P Nadda have been holding detailed discussions on the Karnataka developments for the past two days.  

The BJP may prefer President’s rule by keeping the Assembly in suspended animation if the Speaker delays his decision, sources said.

“A decision on forming the government or imposing President’s rule may be taken in a day or two,” a source said. “The party will face embarrassment if the BJP forms the government and then the rebel legislators turn rogue. Hence, the party will wait for the Speaker’s decision.”

Moreover, there is no clarity on what Congress MLAs Shrimant Patil and B Nagendra, who abstained from the trust vote, will do. They have not tendered their resignation. 

“The strength of the House will be 210 if resignations are accepted or rebels are disqualified. It means the BJP should prove the majority with 107 MLAs. The party may ask Patil and Nagendra to abstain. BSP MLA N Mahesh has not revealed his stand,” sources said.

The SC may pronounce its order on resignation on Thursday. The BJP wants to be cautious as Yeddyurappa failed to prove the majority in 2018. “Anything may happen. Rebel MLAs may withdraw their resignation,” sources said.

BJP MLA J C Madhuswamy said the party expected directions from Shah any moment. “In all probability, B S Yeddyurappa will take oath as CM on Friday,” he conjectured. “We have explained to the central leadership about the need to clear the Finance Bill before July 31,” he said. The BJP has readied a plan for the approval of the Bill if the BJP Parliamentary Board delays its decision.

“The Assembly has been adjourned. We plan to request the Speaker to convene the session to approve the Bill,” Madhuswamy said.

(With inputs from Jagadish Angadi)