Assembly dissolution. Congress last resort to check BJP?

Bengaluru: Soon after two independent MLAs announced their decision to withdraw their support to the ruling coalition, the Congress top brass is reportedly contemplating dissolving the Assembly if the BJP musters the required numbers to pull down the ruling coalition.

Sources in the know of things revealed that the coalition partners would take such an "extreme step" only if the BJP’s operation Lotus succeeds in attracting more than 17 MLAs from the ruling coalition.

The Congress is trying its best to make this (Operation Lotus) look like an anti- dalit, anti- minority and anti-backward class conspiracy while former prime minister, H.D. Deve Gowda tweeted that  any effort to topple the government would be construed as anti-farmer. Hence, it looks like both coalition partners want to go down fighting instead of making it easy for the BJP.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader said Congress party leaders have not yet decided on exercising this option. "This is only an emergency measure. This will foil the BJP which is trying to either keep the House in suspended animation or form the government on its own. The coalition partners do not want either of this to happen. Therefore, the Congress is still trying to bring both Janata Dal (S) patriarch, H.D. Deve Gowda and Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy on board on this issue," the source explained.

Meanwhile, apart from mulling dissolving the assembly, the Congress is considering various possibilities to checkmate the BJP's move by using weapons like disqualification of the rebel MLAs or delay the acceptance of their resignations. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader said, "Speaker Ramesh Kumar being an astute politician, knows how to handle these issues. We have already seen how Lok Sabha speaker, Sumitra Mahajan deferred the decision on accepting YSR Congress MPs’ resignations by six months last year.”