K’taka Polls Cliffhanger: An Evening of Political Twists & Turns

BJP leaders are already claiming to be in touch with MLAs from the JD(S) and Congress to join the party.

By 11 am, covered in saffron colour, BJP workers had begun the celebrations outside party headquarters in Malleshwaram. At the time, the results showed the BJP leading in 115 seats.

Dancing to drum beats, party workers eagerly awaited the arrival of BS Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate, to hear his big speech.

But at his Dollars Colony residence, Yeddyurappa insisted he would not talk until the final results were out, but expressed his joy at his party heading towards majority.

By 2 pm, however, the drums at the BJP office had gone silent.

Still covered in saffron, party workers were now glued to their TV screens. It was a nail-baiting moment, literally for some.

The Cliffhanger That Poured Cold Water Over the BJP

From 115, the lead had now come down to 104.

Soon, mobile phones began to chime, and reporters made hurried calls to verify the information doing the rounds – Congress leaders were going to meeting JD(S) supremo’s Deve Gowda’s house with an offer.

“78 + 38 = 116,” one of the BJP workers calculated on his phone.

“Where is Yeddyurappaji? What is going to happen now?” he asked one of the colleagues. The answer was a long stare of disbelief.

Within an hour, the news was clear. Senior Congress leaders called a press conference to announce their unconditional support to JD(S) to form the next government. However, even at that point, it was unclear whether the JD(S) had accepted the offer.

Bravado Boiling Over

Amidst the speculation, at 4 pm, Yeddyurappa arrived at BJP HQ. Addressing the media, he said the people had rejected the Congress government. He went so far as to say that anti-Congress feeling had led to the JD(S) getting more seats.

However, when asked whether he had sought an appointment with the Governor, he refused to comment. He simply said, “We will make a decision after consulting the national leadership.”

But by then, a letter written by JD(S) leader, HD Kumaraswamy, had begun to do the rounds.

This is to submit your good self that I have accepted the support extended by the Indian National Congress party for forming the government. In this regard, I seek your appointment today evening between 5:30pm and 6:00pm.

Yeddyurappa, who had by then retreated to one of the rooms in the party office, soon emerged again.

We, Ananth Kumar and I, are going to meet the Governor to seek permission to form the government. We are the single largest party in the state. People’s mandate is in our favour and against the Congress.

Yeddyurappa to TNM

Another ‘Operation Kamala’?

All party leaders reached Raj Bhavan by evening, making their case to form the government. After both parties claimed their right to form the government, the Governor has asked for time till the final results were out.

While both parties are debating over the legality of the single largest party getting the first preference to form government, the Congress and JD(S) fear another 'Operation Kamala'.

If the BJP is given to time to prove their majority, the newly formed coalition fears that the BJP would use that time to poach their MLAs.

BJP leaders are already claiming to have been in touch with MLAs from the JD(S) and Congress, to join hands with them. But this process will not be easy, as the BJP will have to get at least 30 percent of its opponents to join them before they can make a legal claim for majority.

All eyes, they say, are now on Amit Shah.

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