Former prime minister and Janata Dal (secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda may have thrown the bait, but the Karnataka wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party is in no mood to bite it. Gowda, according to sources, had said that his party was ready to join the National Democratic Alliance provided the BJP permits H D Kumaraswamy to continue as chief minister for the next 20 months.
But senior BJP leaders have reportedly turned down Deve Gowda's proposal and said that the JD(S) had to adhere to its promise, made by it during the formation of the coalition government, at any cost.
The leaders say that the meeting between Gowda and senior BJP leaders in New Delhi next week will be crucial and the future course of action of both the parties will depend on the outcome of that meeting.
Leaders close to Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa have said that they are ready for any eventuality. However, at present the BJP is concentrating on the upcoming polls of the Urban Local Bodies. The party says that future of the coalition government will depend on the results of these polls.
BJP leaders still have no clue about what the JD(S) plans to do about the imminent power transfer in the state. Interestingly, many JD(S) leaders told rediff.com that they too had no idea about Deve Gowda's plan of action on October 3, the deadline to hand over the reins of the state to the BJP.
The BJP claims that they have already constituted a core committee which will guide the government about various matters. The committee will also have to ensure that the relationship between the BJP and the JD(S) remains intact.
BJP leaders say that Chief Minister Kumaraswamy is in favour of handing over power, as he wants to keep the promise he made to the BJP during the government formation in the state. They feel that Kumaraswamy, a popular chief minister, doesn't want to tarnish his image by not keeping his word.
BJP sources also confirmed that the JD(S) had approached them to discuss the possibility of the present power-sharing arrangement continuing, but the party had rejected it.