The inevitable has finally happened. The 20-month-old JD(S)-BJP alliance in Karnataka has come to an end with the BJP withdrawing support to the Government. While the BJP accused JD(S) of “worst political betrayal ever”, the JD(S) accused the BJP of trying to turn Karnataka into a “Hindutva laboratory.”

According to the agreement, the JD(S) was to hand over the post of Chief Minister to the BJP. But JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda refused to honour the commitment and demanded that the BJP continue to support his son as CM. The BJP parliamentary board that met on Saturday decided to withdraw from the Government and sought fresh elections.

The BJP waited till the last moment hoping for an alternative formula but to no avail. “The issue is not just about transfer of power, it is betrayal by a party headed by a former Prime Minister,” BJP vice president Yashwant Sinha said, announcing the decision to withdraw support to the H D Kumaraswamy Government.

“We want fresh elections in Karnataka,” Sinha said after the meeting attended by central leaders L K Advani, Rajnath Singh, Jaswant Singh and Sushma Swaraj, Karnataka BJP Legislature Party leader B S Yediyurappa and state President Sadananda Gowda.

Sinha said the BJP was against forming a Government by defections and would prefer mid-term polls at the earliest. Karnataka BJP leaders in Bangalore will take out a procession to Raj Bhavan on Sunday to submit a letter withdrawing support to the JD(S).

The party hoped that the JD(S) betrayal will endear them to the electorate and help them get a decisive mandate. B S Yediyurappa, who was BJP’s CM nominee said: “We can wait for another six months and come to power on our own.”

... contd.