Karnataka Assembly bypolls: BJP will win all 15 seats, no question of taking JD(S) support, says BS Yediyurappa

Bengaluru: Expressing confidence about his government completing a full term, Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said the question of the BJP taking the support of the JD(S) would not arise at all. Confident about the BJP winning all the 15 seats going to the bypolls on 5 December, Yediyurappa said he was not bothered about the possibilities of the Congress and JD(S) coming together again to form the government, in case the ruling party fails to garner required seats to remain in the majority. [caption id=“attachment_7574741” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa. ANI[/caption] “We have complete confidence that we will win in all 15 seats, this fight is only to see, with what margin we will win. It is the expectation of the people that the Yediyurappa government should continue for three and half more years”, he said. Speaking to reporters at Haveri, the chief minister said the opposition was free to speak anything and they have that freedom. The ruling BJP needs to win at least six seats to remain in a majority in the 224-member assembly, which would still have two vacant seats, Maski and RR Nagar. Among the segments going to the bypolls, 12 were held by the Congress and three by JD(S), whose coalition government collapsed due to rebellion by the disqualified MLAs. To a question about the possibilities of Congress and JD(S) joining hands to form the government after the bypolls, Yediyurappa said “We are not bothered about it, it is left to them (whether they come together or not). We will get majority (after the bypolls) and we will complete our term of remaining three ads a half years.” JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda, in a cryptic remark made in the context of the bypolls, had recently said congress president Sonia Gandhi’s decision after the election results on 9 December should be watched out for. His statement had led to speculation about the possibility of the former allies coming together once again if the situation arises. Asked if BJP will seek Gowdas cooperation in case the party fails to garner the required number of seats, he said “That question does not arise at all. We don’t want anyone’s cooperation. Hundred percent we will win 15 seats, we will have the majority to complete three and a half years in government”. In what was being perceived as JD(S)’ softening of stand on the saffron party, Gowda, not wanting mid-term polls in Karnataka, had earlier stated that he wants the BJP government to complete its term as it would give him time to build his party. With winning a majority of seats being crucial for the government’s survival, the BJP has fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators who joined the party as its candidates from their respective constituencies. Though the BJP is claiming that it will win in all 15 constituencies, party sources term Hunsur, KR Pete, Yeshwanthpur, Hoskote as “difficult” constituencies.