BJP MLAs to return home empty handed

 BENGALURU: On Wednesday in the state of Karnataka the BJP had suffered a loss after its efforts to topple the Congress-JD(S) coalition government had failed with many of the disgruntled Congress legislators who were developing cold feet during its last moment and not succumbing to the Operation Lotus of the party.

This has been the second failed attempt of the BJP in the past seven months regarding the formation of the government in Karnataka. The BJP has made a plan to make around 12-15 Congress MLAs resign and form the government. it had corralled its MLAs in a resort which is located in Gurugram, besides shifting four Congress MLAs to Mumbai and other places.

After realizing that the required number of Congress MLAs would not resign, state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa reportedly told party MLAs that Operation Lotus has been dropped.

It is said that Yeddyurappa has told the MLAs that, “The party high command wanted not less than 16 Congress-JD(S) MLAs to resign — in one go. Till Saturday, 12 Congress MLAs had assured us they would switch sides, but they backtracked. Hence, we have dropped the operation,”

The BJP MLAs, who have been in a hotel in Gurugram for the past two days are hoping for good news, and are expected to return home empty handed on Thursday. However, state BJP president BS Yeddyurappa, former minister V Somanna and the other three party MLAs from Tumkur district were on their way to Bengaluru on Wednesday to visit the ailing Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumar Swami.