BJP hoping against hope in Karnataka

Putting up a brave front, Rajnath Singh insisted that developments in Karnataka cannot be styled as a political crisis.

Despite the aggressive posture by JD-S, the BJP appeared to be hoping against hope for a smooth power transfer in Karnataka and is looking forward to a a meeting between its chief Rajnath Singh and H D Deve Gowda on Friday to end the impasse.

Putting up a brave front a day after the JD-S bluntly refused to pass the baton to it, the BJP president insisted that the developments in the state cannot be styled as a political crisis and asserted his party still supported the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government.

Singh, who is expected to hold crucial discussions with JD-S supremo Deve Gowda in New Delhi on Friday, asserted that ‘I have full confidence that the problem will be resolved’.

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The former Prime Minister is expected to arrive in the capital on Thursday.

The BJP had earlier asked Kumaraswamy to step down and hand over power to it by Tuesday but the Chief Minister refused to heed to its deadline and made it clear that his party was ready for any eventuality, including snap polls.

The BJP chief also rubbished suggestions that the en masse resignation of party ministers was ‘pressure tactics’, arguing that it was just part of a power-sharing pact arrived at earlier by the two parties.

“The pact was that JD-S will have Chief Ministership till October 3 and then there will be a Chief Minister from the BJP. The resignations were submitted in accordance with that agreement but the support to the government has not been withdrawn,” he said.

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The BJP’s parliamentary board is also meeting in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the political situation in Karnataka.