Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa is treading cautiously over the issue of government formation in case the Congress-JD(S) coalition government collapses.

Addressing media persons in Bengaluru on Monday (July 8), he said, “A legislature party meeting will be held now (in the evening). We will discuss the issue with our members. Later, we will inform our leaders in Delhi. But as the coalition is on thin ice, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy must resign. We will be holding a protest at all district headquarters on July 9.”

While Yeddyurappa is weighing the pros and cons of the coalition collapse, sources said that a reverse operation to absorb BJP MLAs into the fold in case the saffron party comes to power, is also being planned.

Moving to the issue of disgruntled elements camping at a hotel in Mumbai, sources said it is not easy to disqualify them very easily. Sources added that before embarking to Mumbai, they held long discussions with legal experts to remain protected in case the Congress and JD(S) approach the Assembly Speaker with complaints against them.

As these disgruntled elements have resigned from the House and not the party, sources said that they can easily contest by-elections.

There was a school of thought that as the resignations were handed over to the private secretary of the Speaker, the resignations may not be dishonoured. But there is no law that forbids them from doing so.

Earlier in the day, the Congress was planning to initiate disciplinary action against the disgruntled elements.

But as of now the rebel MLAs are safe and sound. It can easily be assumed that they have done their homework well, giving the senior leaders a tough time.

Meanwhile. ST Somashekar, the Congress MLA from Bengaluru’s Yeshwantpur, who addressed the media from the hotel in Mumbai on July 8, has been entrusted to address the media henceforth as well. This is being seen as a move to counter former chief minister Siddarmaiah, of whom, Somashekar was a strident follower.