Opinion divided at BJP meet on toppling HDK govt

Diverse opinion emerged at a special meeting of the BJP of its MLAs, MPs and functionaries here on Wednesday, on whether the party should continue its efforts to form the government if the present dispensation falls.

While a section felt it is too difficult a task, BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa is learnt to be keen on bring the coalition government down by weaning away MLAs from the rival camp.

Yeddyurappa’s core team had been in touch with the Jarkiholi brothers and it was confident that the developments in the Congress camp would turn to its advantage. This team was also in touch with disgruntled Lingayat MLAs, especially from the North Karnataka region in the rival camp, to boost its numbers. The party will need at least 14 legislators in the alliance camp to quit, thereby bringing down the total strength of the Assembly, paving way for the saffron party to stake claim to form the government.

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DH spoke to a cross-section of the legislators and functionaries who attended the meeting and a divided opinion emerged.

While some felt that as people had voted for the BJP in the Assembly polls (it had emerged as the single largest party winning 104 seats), the party should leave no stone unturned to form the government. Then there were others who felt the coalition government will continue at least till the completion of the Lok Sabha elections. The party should not suffer a face loss ahead of the Lok Sabha polls by making a futile attempt to destabilise the ruling dispensation, they said. At the same time, a few MLAs are said to have met Yeddyurappa and told him to continue his effort to form the government.

Earlier in the day at the inaugural of the day-long meeting, Yeddyurappa said it was the JD(S)-Congress combine that was trying to poach BJP legislators. However, the BJP MLAs were united and would not succumb to the enticements offered by the combine.

The BJP leader charged that Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar and Public Works Minister H D Revanna were the “commission agents” of the coalition government. Grants for works are not released unless the contractors pay a commission of 8% to 10%, he charged. The government has failed on all fronts. The BJP will expose the misdeeds of the government. BJP leaders will start touring the state in 15 to 20 days, he said. Yeddyurappa said Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Revanna were transferring government officials according to their whims and fancies. He said the government’s crop loan scheme was a farce and was yet to reach the farmers.

Briefing reporters, BJP state general secretaries Aravind Limbavali and N Ravi Kumar said the legislature party meeting was held during the day. The meeting authorised Yeddyurappa to take an appropriate decision on staking claim to form the government if the present dispensation collapses.

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