Karnataka bypolls: How many seats BJP needs to remain in power

Karnataka bypolls: How many seats BJP needs to remain in power

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Monday, December 09, 2019, 09:50 AM IST
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The future of the four-month-old B S Yediyurappa-led BJP government in Karnataka will be clear on Monday when the counting of votes in the crucial byelections to 15 assembly constituencies will be completed.

The bypolls were held to fill the vacancies caused by the disqualification of 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, whose revolt led to collapse of the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in July and paved the way for BJP to come to power.

The elections had taken place at Yellapur, Ranebennur, Vijayanagar, Yashwanthapur, Mahalakshmi Layout, Chikkaballapura, KR Puram, Shivajinagar, KR Pet, Hunsur, Athani, Kagwad, Gokak, Hirekerur and Hoskote.

The BJP needs at least six seats in an assembly of 221 seats minus speaker to continue in the government. Its failure to garner the required number of seats may result in another bout of political drama in the southern state.

Speculations were rife about the Congress and JD(S), which had parted ways on a bitter note after the collapse of the Kumaraswamy government, joining hands again and form a coalition government again, though leaders of the two parties have sent mixed signals on such a possibility.

As of now, the BJP has 105 MLAs (including an independent), the Congress 66 and the JD(S) 34. Besides, there is one BSP member, a nominated MLA and the Speaker.

If the ruling BJP cruises to majority, Yediyurappa would still face a tough task of cabinet expansion. He will have to strike a balance by accommodating the victorious disqualified legislators in his ministry as promised by him and also make place for old-guards, who have been upset over being "neglected" in the first round. Including the Chief Minister, currently there are 18 ministers in the cabinet, whose sanctioned strength is 34.

The BJP has fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators, who joined the party after the Supreme Court allowed them to contest the bypolls, as its candidates from the constituencies they had won in the 2018 assembly elections on the Congress and JD(S) tickets.

The BJP and Congress were pitted in direct contest in most of the constituencies that went for the bypolls, in the southern parts of the state JD(S) was also in the fray, making it a triangular fight. In Hosakote, BJP rebel and independent supported by JD(S) Sharth Bachegowda is a key factor.

(Inputs from PTI)

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