BJP Rushes Top Leaders, Trying to Woo Miffed Sidda, HDK Groups

BJP president Amit Shah rushed top leaders to Bengaluru to make counter offer to JD(S).

The Karnataka election results seem to be more exciting than a T-20 match. A nervous BJP rushed three top leaders to Bengaluru – Dharmendra Pradhan, Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javadekar. This follows a top meeting with Amit Shah and the three leaders are rushing with a plan and, probably, with a message for Governor Vajabhai Rudabhai Vala.

Sources said that the BJP is trying to give a counter offer to the JD(S) at the same time trying to woo the miffed Congress supporters of chief minister Siddarmaiah. The BJP, sources said, has already opened backdoor talks with the JD(S) and a few Congress MLAs.

To send out a message, the Congress pushed Siddaramaiah before the press where he said that the Congress will whole-heartedly and unconditionally support the JD(S) to form the next government. But Siddaramaiah’s body language was not much to write about. He looked obviously upset and angry. This is the cleavage that the BJP is trying to exploit to the hilt.

The Congress also rushed a senior leader to meet the Governor. But he refused to meet the emissary. This move was high on optics to make the BJP nervous.

But the JD(S) was equally nervous. HDK rushed to meet his father to discuss the strategy. The JD(S) is worried that with a couple of seats to go to the polls later and with a scheming BJP sharpening its knife, a JD(S) government will never have peace of mind and may not last a few months. In that case, it will be advantage BJP.

Sources said that the Congress is pushing for two deputy CM post which will make HDK a puppet CM. This is also a worrisome factor for HDK. The BJP in the opposition can also make life miserable for HDK who cannot take stress on health grounds.

Earlier, the Congress opened its heart and offered the chief minister post to H D Kumaraswamy. At the highest level, Sonia Gandhi spoke directly to JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda. Sources said that Sonia Gandhi requested Gowda to keep the BJP out specially since there is an anti-BJP coalition shaping up for the 2019 general elections.

The Congress decision will mean that it will not stake claim to form the government, but allow the JD(S) to do so.

The JD(S) is yet to accept the Congress support or CM post.

At the same time, the Congress acted swiftly and aggressively when money-bag Congress leader DK Shivakumar met the one of the two independent candidates at Kolar. He was a Congress supporter and jumped into the fray when his candidature was rejected by the party.

Meanwhile, at 4 pm, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will meet the Governor and resign, but request the Governor to invite the JD(S)-Congress alliance.

Coming to numbers, the BJP is likely to end up with 105-106, the Congress at 73 and JD(S) at 41. Others are 2.