By IANS
Bangalore : The power transfer drama in Karnataka continues its twists and turns. While Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislators hope to convince H.D. Kumaraswamy to continue as Karnataka Chief Minister Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may direct its ministers in the coalition government to quit if he reneges on his word to hand over power Oct 3 as agreed in February 2006.
At the JD-S meeting scheduled later Monday, Kumaraswamy may offer to resign to keep his word, but legislators are likely to reject his offer and urge him to continue, according to indications given by the chief minister himself Sunday night.
“I want to resign on Oct 3. There is no confusion in mind over this. I am very clear,” Kumaraswamy told reporters after his father and JD-S president H.D. Deve Gowda virtually ruled out transferring power at a brief meeting with BJP vice president Yashwant Sinha.
Deve Gowda was unhappy with the BJP following attempt-to-murder charges BJP minister B. Sriramulu made against Chief Minister Kumaraswamy.
“I will try to convince my legislators,” Kumaraswamy added, clearly hinting that they were in no mood to accept a BJP man as chief minister.
The JD-S had agreed to share power with the BJP and pass the post of chief minister to that party when they formed their coalition 20 months ago. The BJP supported the JD-S after that party severed ties with the Congress.
If implemented, the agreement will give BJP the first chief minister in south India.
But the chief minister sent confusing signals when he later said: “The situation now is entirely different from 20 months back when JD-S and BJP agreed to share the chief ministership for 20 months each.
“We went in for an alliance with BJP against the wishes of JD-S leadership. Now we and JD-S leadership are together again. Hence we have to abide by the decision of JD-S leaders who have worked hard to build the party,” Kumaraswamy said without mentioning his father’s name.
The chief minister’s new line on power transfer came after JD-S put up an impressive show in civic body polls held Friday. Results were out Sunday and JD-S emerged as the second largest party, relegating coalition partner BJP to third place.
“The civic body poll outcome will not have any bearing on the power transfer issue,” Kumaraswamy had said Sunday morning even as results were pouring in.
The tune changed by Sunday evening as most of the results from 4,920 seats were out with JD-S winning 1,349 seats and BJP about 1,100. The main opposition party, Congress, topped the tally with around 1,580 seats. But the Congress has suffered heavily compared to its show in the last civic body polls in 2001 when it had bagged over 2,300 seats.
Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who is hoping to take over as chief minister Oct 3, has called a meeting of party ministers to decide whether they should resign if Kumaraswamy goes back on his word.
BJP sources, however, said there was no unanimity on such a move.
One section is in favour of continuing with the present arrangement, swallowing any embarrassment at being taken for a ride by the coalition partner, according to BJP sources.
This section believes the collapse of the coalition will mean early elections to the state assembly with Kumaraswamy continuing as caretaker chief minister or polls under president’s rule, the sources said.
The other view is that the party will suffer heavily, in image and in the polls whenever they are held, if it agrees to the status quo.
Yashwant Sinha, who was made to wait since Saturday before Deve Gowda met him Sunday, will be conveying to the party’s central leaders Monday the divergent views in the state unit on the issue.
BJP sources said party’s central leaders too would have a hard time deciding what course to take. With the BJP central leadership preoccupied with the Ram Sethu issue, the state unit may be advised to decide for itself in the best interests of the party, the sources added.