Till about a week ago, the BJP had adopted a wait-and-watch attitude, content to be on the sidelines. With just two days to go for the special session of Parliament, however, the BJP appears as active as BSP chief Mayawati in canvassing for support to defeat the motion.
The BJP is in touch with not only independents (Amroha MP Harish Nagpal having crossed over to their side recently) but is also working on parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
Top sources in the party say that the change of heart came about out of a sense of fear that their own NDA MPs may get poached. "There are at least 10-12 MPs in the BJP itself whose constituencies have finished under the new delimitation scheme, or have become reserved or dereserved. We were getting reports that feelers were being exchanged on future ticket distribution promises," said the source.
"We also realised that we could not allow the Left and Mayawati to take the political momentum away from us. After all we are the biggest opposition group in the country, why should we look like the B-team of the government," said the source. After this, the logic of the benefit of simultaneous general elections and Assembly polls in three BJP ruled states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh was tacked on.
"It is a question of our image. If we lose narrowly, it will hit the confidence of the government and lift the spirits of our cadre; if we lose by a large margin, their morale will be up. Of course, if the government falls then all of us have to face elections," he said.