By IANS
Bangalore : In a desperate attempt to prevent Karnataka coming under President’s rule, the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) offered to hand over chief ministership to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after three months but failed to convince its estranged coalition partner, it was revealed late Monday night.
“The efforts failed because of technical reasons,” N. Cheluvarayaswamy, who was transport minister and the JD-S leader involved in the efforts for a patch up, told reporters Monday night.
The patch up efforts came after H.D. Kumaraswamy submitted his resignation to Governor Rameshwar Thakur Monday evening when his ministry lost majority with the BJP pulling out of the 20-month-old alliance over his refusal to honour his word on power transfer to it.
Kumaraswamy told NDTV news channel: “Personally I decided to resign on Oct 2 itself, but because of my party leaders I waited till now.
“I decided to continue due to pressure. It was not my decision, it is the party’s decision.”
On the reported patchup, Kumaraswamy said: “There are common friends from both parties who worked out a formula that I continue for another three months, and after it I vacate it for BJP friends. Some brought it before me, but I said it is not good to accept this, and hand over charge to BJP friends.”
“If MLAs are ready even now we can take this decision.”
Cheluvarayaswamy claimed that the feelers had come from the BJP that it was willing for a compromise.
Cheluvarayaswamy did not elaborate on what the technical glitch was.
However BJP’s R. Ashok, who was health minister, denied that his party had shown interest in a compromise.
On party leader B.S. Yediyurappa’s rushing to Bangalore from Tumkur, about 90 km away from here, and holding secret talks with party leaders, Ashok said he had discussed legal issues.
Asked what the legal issues were, Ashok said it concerned what needed to be done in case the governor calls the party to find out whether it was in a position to form an alternative government. The BJP is the largest party in the assembly with 79 MLAs.
There was intense speculation that the JD-S was keen for a patch up with the BJP to prevent President’s rule and also to maintain unity in its own ranks.
Yediyurappa, who was to take over from Kumaraswamy on October as per the agreement reached 20-months back, was in Tumkur to launch the BJP’s statewide campaign against Kumaraswamy’s “betrayal”. His sudden arrival in Bangalore and meeting at a secret place added grist to the speculation.