Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jul 15: The involvement of national level leaders in the current 'Operation Lotus' and intelligent legal moves have led BJP to the threshold of succeeding in wresting power from the Congress-JD(S) combine in the state.

Former chief minister and state BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa, had made repeated efforts to stage the coup in spite of clear messages from national leadership to keep quiet, but stumbled each time. The BJP had become a laughing stock because of Yeddyurappa's repeated claims of rising to power in Karnataka and then failing to meet the deadline each time. One such effort by Yeddyurappa also resulted in making public an audio containing his conversation offering huge amount to a politician for changing sides. The chief minister had then been asked to form special investigation team to investigate the episode. Sensing the loss of face the party is suffering on account of failed attempts, BJP national leadership jumped into action this time.

B S Yeddyurappa

The first success came by the strict gag order issued by the central leadership against Yeddyurappa, who often leaked his plans out of enthusiasm, which gave time for the opposite parties to act to save the situation before it is too late. The party leaders this time got state general secretary of BJP, Aravind Limbavali, to work as coordinator for Operation Lotus. The top leadership also kept a close vigil on every development and issued timely instructions, it is learnt. Although Siddaramaiah repeatedly accused Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and union home minister, Amit Shah, of indulging in Operation Lotus, when it was executed, all the leaders in the coalition government were dumbstruck.

The BJP also moved cleverly in making the angry rebels to approach the Supreme Court together seeking orders directing the assembly speaker to accept the resignations. This affectively thwarted the possible move of the speaker to reject the resignations or act under anti defection law. The BJP leadership, which observed that the speaker was engaging in delaying tactics, swiftly decided to move Supreme Court. While others approached Supreme Court on Tuesday, MLAs Roshan Baig, M T B Nagaraj, Dr Sudhakar and Anand Singh joined the petitioners on Saturday. This has affectively sealed the chances of the MLAs from going back as in the past as they have committed in writing and if they try to withdraw the decision to resign, they would be censured by the Supreme Court.

The disgruntled MLAs are being represented in Supreme Court by Mukul Rohatgi. Abhishek Singhvi, who had appeared on behalf of the speaker, had placed arguments which looked like challenging the authority of the Supreme Court. The BJP leaders, who observed this, asked the other four MLAs also to approach Supreme Court with the hope that their prayers would be upheld by the top court.