Senior BJP leader S.M. Krishna on Tuesday said, “Only the victory of BJP in the 15 bypolls will ensure a stable government and thereby an undisturbed development trajectory in Karnataka.”
BJP has 105 legislators in the assembly and enjoys the support of one independent MLA, taking its strength to 106. It needs to win at least six seats to ensure simple majority in the House.
Speaking at an interaction with media in Bengaluru, he said, “After a bitter experience of a direction-less government for 14 months, 17 MLAs realised the development aspirations of the people couldn’t be met by the coalition government prompting them to resign and join BJP. But we need a stable government ridding us of dependence on any outside forces to put the State back on the development track. So we appeal the people to vote us in the bypolls,” he made his pitch on the last day of campaigning for the December 5 bypolls. He recently campaigned in Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru.
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When quizzed of his recent statement that he did play a role in toppling the previous government, he said he did play a small role. “There are many of my old followers and friends in Congress. They visit me regularly to enquire of my well being. They were politically confused. In the well-being of the State we discussed many things including the need to pull down the then government,” he said.
But is wooing MLAs and pulling down a government ethical? “The mandate of the people in the 2018 assembly polls was for BJP, which was subverted by a post-poll hasty alliance of Congress and JD(S). It is thanks to the 17 MLAs the State is rid of a directionless government. We need to be thankful to them and ensure their victory,” he said.
On the question of whether they will be able to find their space in the BJP, he quipped: “I have come from a entirely different political culture and am now working in BJP with no issues”.
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He shot down any comparisons with Maharashtra, where several turncoats who joined BJP before the recent assembly polls were defeated. “What can be said of Maharashtra need not be said of Karnataka. Our State is a different political entity. Here the question is of a stable government and respecting the mandate of the people,” he said.