BENGALURU: For opposition leader and BJP's likely chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa , it is a case of “so near, yet so far” once again.

With the collapse of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government after Tuesday's trust vote, it was expected that the BJP led by Yeddyurappa will stake claim to form the next government within 24 hours.

However, the central leadership has put the brakes on the state unit’s “urgency” to form the next government, saying that it will send an observer from Delhi to witness the entire process - from electing the BJP legislature party leader to formation of the government.

The possibility of disqualification of rebel coalition MLAs continues to haunt Yeddyurappa and the BJP, with speaker K R Ramesh Kumar yet to take a decision on their resignation.

According to party sources, Yeddyurappa will have to wait for the speaker’s decision as, technically, the BJP continues to be the single largest party but does not have the majority in a House of 225 MLAs.

The confidence motion moved by Kumaraswamy was defeated with 99 members voting for the motion and 105 against it. However, 15 rebel MLAs, 3 independents and 2 absentee Congress MLAs are still part of the House.

While 2 of the 3 independents have expressed their support to the BJP, taking their number to 107, expelled BSP MLA N Mahesh has not committed himself to support any party.

The fate of two Congress legislators, B Nagendra and Sreemanth Patil, is also yet to be decided.

If Nagendra and Patil continue to stay with the Congress, and Mahesh assists the coalition, then the numbers in favour of Congress-JD(S) will be 103.

However, then the strength of the assembly will be 210, bringing the majority mark to 106. This will force the BJP to ensure that the independents do not switch sides.

Considering that either the resignations of the rebels are accepted or the Speaker decides to disqualify them, the BJP will still be on tenterhooks as it will have to depend on the independents to shore up their numbers till the by-elections to the 15 rebel constituencies are held.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday after meeting the RSS state leadership in Bengaluru, Yeddyurappa said: “ ... We are waiting for the approval of the central leadership and only then will be able to decide on meeting the governor to stake claim to form the government.”

On Tuesday, Yeddyurappa continued to hold parleys with his senior legislators, including J C Madhuswamy, Basavaraj Bommai, among others. He visited the RSS head office to thank them for their assistance over the last 14 months.

Earlier today, BJP legislators C N Ashwathnarayan and R Ashoka left for Mumbai to pacify the rebels who are reportedly feeling "restless”.

