4 more in kitty, BJP safe ahead of K’taka session

In the run up to the budget session of the Karnataka state Assembly on July 17, the ruling BJP has poached two Congress and two JD(S) MLAs in an effort...

In the run up to the budget session of the Karnataka state Assembly on July 17, the ruling BJP has poached two Congress and two JD(S) MLAs in an effort to keep the balance of legislators in its favour.

With BJP headhunters —the Reddy brothers from Bellary and their associate minister B Sriramulu — dangling the guarantee of development funds for legislators, the Congress and JD(S) strength has reduced to 78 and 26 respectively.

With the changed scenario, the BJP has managed to stem, for now, any threats of loss of support of six Independent MLAs who currently carry the B S Yeddyurappa Government across the simple majority figure of 113 in the 224-member Assembly.

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The combined strength of the Congress and the JD(S) has now fallen to 104, putting the combination out of reach of the 113 mark even if the exit of the six Independent MLAs is managed by the increasingly cozy Congress-JD(S) duo. The BJP won 110 seats in the May polls.

The BJP leadership, who have clearly indicated that they would not hesitate in poaching opposition MLAs to stay in power, attracted JD(S) MLAs Shivanagouda Naik and Balachandra Jharkiholi, and Congress MLAs Anand Asnotikar and J L Narasimhaswamy to resign and join the BJP.

All four, who are below the age of 45 and had won the May polls are now expected to contest by-polls on BJP tickets.

Apart from the guarantee of funds for the development of their respective constituencies, the BJP has offered ministerial berths to two of the defecting MLAs since three seats out of a possible 34 cabinet seats still remain vacant.

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“I have been promised a Rs 30-crore package for the development of my constituency,” Narasimhaswamy, son of senior Congress leader R L Jalappa, said after announcing his resignation from the Congress on Sunday.

The BJP leadership began acting on the ‘Operation Resignations’ project after getting wind of Congress-JD(S) efforts to woo the six Independents, sources said. The plan is being executed with Chief Minister Yeddyurappa’s consent.

The party has exploited a political situation where a number of opposition MLAs are concerned about receiving sufficient funds for the development of their constituencies over the next five years and the growing political assumption of a possible return of the BJP to the Centre.

According to BJP sources, there could be more MLAs announcing their official exit from the Congress and the JD(S) in the coming days.