Despite the fall of the Congress-JD(S) government in Karnataka, the BJP is yet to stake claim to form the government and is treading carefully.
According to senior BJP sources, the party is not in a hurry to stake claim to form the government. BJP leaders, including former CM BS Yeddyurappa and Jagadish Shettar, flew to New Delhi on Thursday to meet the high command and discuss the scenario.
BJP insiders say that the national leaders have advised them to wait for the Speaker's decision on the resignations of the 14 MLAs in Mumbai and then take a call on whether to form a government or introduce President's rule.
Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Thursday evening disqualified MLAa Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Mahesh Kumatahalli (Athani) and R Shankar (Ranebennur).
Meanwhile, the Finance Appropriation Bill, which was introduced by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on July 12, needs to be passed by both the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council before July 31.
"If the finance bill is not passed before July 31, then the Assembly will have to be suspended as a constitutional crisis will be created. I urge all political parties to ensure that such a situation does not arise. In case this happens, then President's rule is imminent," Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said.
BJP sources say that the state leaders discussed the possibility of President's rule and also regarding the party cadre unwilling to allow the rebels to contest on a BJP ticket in case the situation arises.
"It is not practically possible to allow all rebels from Bengaluru to become ministers. Naturally they will demand tickets to contest from their current segments. In case they win, they will have to be given ministerial berths. Initially, the party had expected the Speaker to accept the resignations. In that case, we had decided to give them ministerial berths for six months and then when bye-elections arrived, they would probably not be given tickets," the BJP source added.
The 14-month-old Congress-JD(S) government lost the trust vote by 105-99 in the House on Tuesday after three weeks of intense political drama in the state.
Several senior BJP leaders from Karnataka met party chief Amit Shah and working president J.P. Nadda, at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday, to discuss the political situation in the state. They included Jagadish Shettar, Basavraj Bommai and Arvind Limbavali, sources said.