Bengaluru: The uncertainty thrown up by the May 12 assembly poll continued on Wednesday with neither the BJP nor the Congress and JD(S) combine, willing to concede defeat.
The BJP with a 104 seats in its kitty, is making an all out effort to persuade the JD(S) to back it while simultaneously working on both its legislators and those of the Congress to switch loyalties to it.
Going by sources, BJP national president, Amit Shah, who is adamant on forming the government one way or another, deputed Union Minister Prakash Javadekar to meet JD(S) supremo, Deve Gowda to persuade him to back the BJP. But the former Prime Minister did not bite the bait, and all Mr Javadekar could do was meet JD(S) state chief, H D Kumaraswamy in a hotel where he reportedly advised him to think about the long term and the negative impact a coalition with the Congress would have on his party's prospects in the old Mysuru region.
The JD(S) leader was offered a cabinet berth at the Centre and his brother an important post like Deputy Chief Minister in the state, sources reveal.
But Mr Kumaraswamy is said to have politely told him that the decision was left to Mr Deve Gowda and the BJP should speak to him. Undeterred, the BJP is reportedly in talks with at least six Congress MLAs after failing to make any headway with most of the 38 JD(S) legislators, although a few are said to be in touch with it.
The saffron party even tried to see if Mr H D Revanna of the JD(S) was vulnerable to its overtures, but when he remained aloof, it began to focus on Congress MLAs like Mr Anand Singh and Mr Nagendra. Later, Humnabad MLA, Rajashekhar Reddy, Chamarajpet MLA ,B Z Zameer Ahamed Khan and Pulikeshinagar MLA, Akhanda Srinivasmurthy, say sources.
Although all five MLAs returned to a party meeting late in the afternoon, the Congress is reportedly jittery over their next move.
Local BJP-RSS leaders believe that a JD(S)-Congress government is unlikely to last beyond six to nine months and the state may go in for another assembly election along with elections to Parliament in 2019.
But Mr Shah is not convinced and wants the BJP to form the government at any cost, say sources.
