BJP to topple coalition Government after Sankranti?

Bengaluru: With the LS polls just a couple of months away, the BJP is said to have devised a strategy to topple the ruling JD(S)-Congress Coalition Government after Sankranti.

Setting in motion its famous ‘Operation Lotus’ strategy, BJP is said to have lured six Congress MLAs and five more are likely to jump ship, according to sources.

The BJP top brass, which seems to be hell-bent on toppling the Coalition Government, has begun the ‘Operation Topple’ from New Delhi, it is learnt.

Congress MLAs likely to switch camp are B. Nagendra (Ballari), Anand Singh (Vijayanagara-Hospet), Shivarm Hebbar (Yellapur), Pratap Gouda Patil (Maski), G.N. Ganesh (Kampli) and R. Shankar (independent MLA from Ranebennur who was dropped from the Cabinet last month). These Legislators are said to have arrived in Delhi a couple of days ago and five more are said to join them after Sankranti, sources said. All Legislators are said to leave for Mumbai                                                               in a day or two after meeting BJP National President Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi at Delhi. Upon reaching Mumbai, they will be housed at a resort near Mumbai and Malleswaram.BJP MLA C.N. Ashwathnarayan has been entrusted with the task of ensuring their safety, sources said.

BJP has set deadline: DKS

Even as the BJP is allegedly making consistent efforts to topple the Coalition Government, Water Resources Minister D.K. Shivakumar (DKS) has alleged that the BJP has set Sankranti Festival deadline for the State Government to collapse.

Speaking to presspersons at Bengaluru yesterday, Shivakumar alleged that three Congress MLAs had left for Delhi.

Claiming that the Congress would not keep silently watching the BJP’s moves, Shivakumar said that the Congress was very much aware of the BJP’s moves. Maintaining that three Congress Legislators were camping in Mumbai to meet top BJP leaders, Shivakumar accused the BJP of horse-trading.

Asserting that Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy and former CM Siddaramaiah were in the know of the BJP’s moves, Shivakumar said that only three Congress MLAs are suspected to have established links with the BJP. Declaring that he would do everything to stop ‘Operation Lotus,’ the Minister said that he would not be a silent spectator to the BJP’s game plan and would do all to save the Coalition Government and also expose the BJP.