This is how Karnataka BJP likely to get majority in assembly; Congress, JDS worried

Amid intense jockeying for power in Karnataka, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claimed it would form the government and was quite confident to shore up numbers. The BJP with 104 legislators is the single largest party in the 222-member State Assembly and has managed to win over one of the independents R Shankar.

However, the BJP is still short of meeting the halfway mark. The party is actively mulling various options to make up the deficit. 

One is to lure disgruntled legislators from politically crucial Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities from both JD(S) and Congress and made them to vote for BJP. They may face disqualification for cross voting and thereafter it will be BJP’s responsibility to get them re-elected on its ticket.

Secondly, the BJP will see that at least six to 10 members from the Congress and BJP remain abstain on the day of proving majority. The BJP may repeat the ‘’Operation Lotus’’ strategy which was carried out by Yeddyuruppa to win over opposition party legislators with money and power. The BJP then had poached 20 MLAs from JD(S) and Congress, making them resign from their assembly membership and contest bypolls, between 2008 and 2013.

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Thirdly, the BJP needs six legislators to meet the halfway mark of 111. However, if eight legislators from the Congress and JD(S) resign, then in that case the magic figure will drop to 108 which will help the BJP to comfortably prove the majority in the assembly.

BJP leader KS Eshwarappa told DNA, “There is no doubt we will form the government.” Union Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said.

By Sanjay Jog, DNA India