Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday said that he was confident of getting a majority and forming the next government.
Yeddyurappa made the announcement while addressing a press conference in Bengaluru after 13 former Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs formally joined the KJP. The MLAs had resigned and given up their primary BJP membership on Wednesday.
Although Yeddyurappa did not indicate if there would be more BJP members joining his party, he said those who wished for the betterment of Karnataka were free to join him.
Yeddyurappa refused to comment on the survival of the BJP government in Karnataka but hinted that some more legislators may soon join him. He also said that he would not be meeting with the governor of Karnataka seeking a directive to the government to take a floor test. “It is for the governor to decide and we had met him earlier and told him our stand and also the position of the BJP government, said Yeddyurappa.
The KJP leader said he had toured 115 constituencies and the response he got was very good. “I have decided that the KJP will fight in all seats in the forthcoming Karnataka elections,” the former CM said.
Meanwhile, attempts are being made to rope in more BJP legislators into the KJP.
Sources say that the next in line are Excise Minister M P Renukacharya and Minister of Heavy Industries Murugesh Nirani. The KJP is also in talks with other MLAs and if the party manages to rope in three more MLAs, it will be time to ring the curtain down for the BJP government.
The government too is in talks with independents to support it as it wishes to ensure that the budget is passed. The budget session of the Karnataka legislative assembly commences on February 4.
Sources say that the BJP is even talking to the Janata Dal-Secular to give it outside support in case it has to take a floor test. For the BJP the biggest challenge is to pass the budget, after which it wants to face the elections, which will be held in a few months from now.
