The BJP high command has asked its Karnataka leadership to negotiate a dilution of the 12-point pre-nuptial agreement sought by Janata Dal Secular national president H D Deve Gowda in order to forge a renewed alliance.Sources in the BJP said preliminary talks had been conducted with a member of the Gowda family seeking dilution of at least four conditions. “We have not agreed to the conditions and are still in the process of discussion. Finally, it will be a decision that has to be taken by the national party leaders,” BJP sources said.The imposition of conditions by Gowda has put the BJP in a bind and created pressure within the state unit to oppose the conditions even at the cost of having its first shot at power in South India. Gowda’s condition that the alliance must end if General Elections were announced has in particular created doubts in the BJP over the move to go in for a short-term alliance. On Friday, Kumaraswamy argued that no “unconditional support” had been offered to the BJP for formation of a Government in the state. His party had in its letter to the Governor only expressed willingness to support a BJP-led Government headed by B S Yediyurappa and Gowda’s 12-point suggestion for a conducive marriage, Kumaraswamy stated.In Delhi, BJP chief Rajnath Singh said his party has no plans to respond immediately to Dewe Gowda’s letter. Gowda has himself said the issues will be discussed and agreed upon once the Governor invites BJP leader B S Yediyurappa to form the Government, Singh told The Indian Express. “Let President’s Rule be revoked and the Governor invite the BJP-JD(S) combine to form a Government,” said Singh.BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the 12-point ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ only consisted of “suggestions’ and could not be an “issue” for the Governor who should only be “concerned” with the majority. “We have 129 MLAs,” he pointed out. Naidu demanded that President’s Rule be revoked immediately and Governor Rameshwar Thakur invite Yediyurappa to form the Government. “The Governor has no choice but to invite Yediyurappa to form Government, as he has the requisite majority,” Naidu said, adding that it was the Governor’s “foremost duty” to install a popular Government when possible.Naidu said: “The Congress and UPA seem to have an evil agenda. That is why this delay in the Governor taking the initiative, and the Centre not taking action on the Governor’s report.” He warned the UPA regime against any ‘misadventure’ like the kind it had tried in Jharkhand and Bihar, and added that “partisan actions by pliable Governors had been struck down by the courts.”In the event of the Centre not revoking President’s Rule, “we will take other steps,” said Naidu, adding: “We are ready to take our MLAs to Rashtrapathi Bhavan, if necessary.” He pointed out that the Prime Minister had given the assurance to a BJP delegation that he would go by the Constitution.As for Congress leader M Veerappa Moily’s remarks that the Governor had sent a ‘factual account’ of the Karnataka situation and not a ‘final recommendation’, Naidu demanded to know if Moily had been “privy” to the confidential report sent by the Governor. “Is the Governor consulting Congress leaders?” he asked.
