Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 1: Even as Karnataka chief minister, H D Kumaraswamy, is on a visit to Singapore for celebrating the New Year, BJP is said to be continuing with its behind-the-scene efforts to engineer the collapse of the coalition government.

Reportedly, the MLAs who have grouses against the coalition government are being used to see that the current government crumbles. This secret 'Operation Lotus' has the blessings of national leaders of BJP, it is said. BJP sources said that the disgruntled legislators of the coalition government will begin to tender resignations at the end of 'Dhanurmasa' which is considered inauspicious.

BJP state chief Yeddyurappa

The Congress MLAs who have scores to settle against certain leaders of their party, have already met BJP top brass at New Delhi. It is said that they are trying to take with them like-minded legislators. Reportedly,   legislator, Nagendra, who had joined Congress under the influence of Siddaramaiah is said to be leading the bunch of unhappy MLAs. It is said that he has contacted two legislators from Ballari and Raichur districts. Emotions of the legislators are being whipped up by pointing out that they have not got anything in return for working hard for long for their party, it is said.

But the BJP leaders are not uniform in predicting the timing of the fall of the state government. The party leaders say that 18 MLAs are in contact with their leaders. A team of MLAs led by Ramesh Jarkiholi is expected to tender resignations ahead of others, triggering other resignations in the follow through.

Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had asked media persons to wait for four days for his next move, has kept them waiting and guessing even after this deadline passed. There is speculation that after Tuesday, he might visit the chamber of the assembly speaker to hand over his resignation letter. In spite of all these developments, no one from the coalition government seems to be making an honest effort to thwart the legislators from departing. Water resources minister, D K Shivakumar, who was in the forefront of efforts to save the government in the past, has also been lying low.