| This came after Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy resigned and attempts by some MLAs of his party, the JD(S), to resurrect the coalition government with the BJP were nixed by the latter's central leadership and the RSS. |
| What seemed like a straight-forward case in which the chief minister of a minority government was supposed to either resign or take a floor test became complicated last evening after fears that some JD(S) MLAs might form a faction and support the BJP. |
| After two JD(S) MLAs resigned from the legislature protesting against Kumaraswamy's flip-flop over transfer of power to the BJP, several JD(S) MLAs showed up at former deputy chief minister Yediurappa's residence and promised him support. |
| Yediurappa, who was in Tumkur for a state tour, chartered a helicopter to return to Bangalore. He spoke to Kumaraswamy before the latter went to meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur. |
| Kumaraswamy's father Deve Gowda, who earlier advised him to not transfer power to the BJP, told advisors he "was very disturbed" about these developments as he felt his son "was being trapped by renegade MLAs and the BJP." |
| He wasted no time in calling up the governor and asking him to dissolve the Assembly in a day or two, reflecting the panic at the prospect of his son deserting him again. |
| Kumaraswamy had formed the government with the BJP against Gowda's wishes. |
| While the talks were on, the BJP central leadership was contacted by the president of the party's state unit, Sadanand Gowda. Both LK Advani and party President Rajnath Singh refused to entertain the prospect of another BJP-JD(S) government. The RSS leaders also felt this would make the BJP lose its moral edge. |
| The governor also had a tough message for the chief minister and bluntly told him he would go with the letters from the BJP MLAs withdrawing support and told him that since his government had lost the numbers, he should quit. The curtains seem to have have finally come down on this drama. |
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