It was nothing, but five conditions set by Janata Dal (S) leader Deve Gowda that forced the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka to take an aggressive posture in the ongoing power tussle in the state, BJP sources said.
Though the Gowda camp is still hopeful of convincing the BJP, the latter is not keen comply with the conditions. The JD(S) leaders say they will try and convince the BJP to accept the conditions, sources said.
If Gowda fails to convince the BJP, the sources said, then his son H D Kumaraswamy would step in as negotiator. It is learnt that if Kumaraswamy, too, fails to convince the BJP regarding the conditions, then the last option will be to ask the BJP to permit him to continue as the chief minister till January 1. Sources say Kumaraswamy is even ready to give the assurance in writing this time.
What are the conditions which have irked the BJP?
First, the JD(S) is trying to gain mileage from the Mangalore riots. The riots which were sparked off over a trivial dispute recently turned ugly. The JD(S) wanted those from the BJP who are involved in the riots be brought to book.
Second, the JD(S) asked the BJP to lay its hands off the Datta Peeta issue. The Datta Peeta, which is in Chickmagalur, around 200-odd km from Bangalore, is a sentimental issue for the BJP.
Third, the JD(S) also seeks a unanimous decision by both parties on the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor issue. The JD(S) says that the implementer of the project Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise and its managing director Ashok Khenny should be ousted from the project. While Gowda's hatred for Khenny is widely known, the BJP, however, is soft on Khenny.
Four, the JD(S) does not want the BJP to field its candidates for elections in at least 15 constituencies in Karnataka. The JD(S) says these constituencies were bagged by them in the recently concluded local body polls and hence claimed them.
Then last, the JD(S) wants action against Janardhan Reddy and Sriramulu, the two BJP MLAs from Bellary. The JD(S) wants the two leaders be kept away from the administrative affairs of the state.