Lok Sabha polls won, BJP may target Opposition govts in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh

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The BJP, which won 104 seats in the Assembly polls last year, was kept out of power by a post-poll coalition forged by the Congress, which won 80 seats, and the JDS, which won 37 seats, in the 224-member Assembly.

The BJP managed to increase its tally to 105 on Thursday by winning the Chincholi assembly bypoll, although the party lost the Kundgol bypoll to the Congress.

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Besides, Congress leaders, many owing allegiance to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, have been making noises about replacing Kumaraswamy. Some of them have already gone on record to slam the national leadership. Congress leader Siddaramaiah, however, said on Thursday that no party MLA would quit the party to join the BJP.

Meanwhile in Rajasthan, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, whose son Vaibhav Gehlot has lost from Jodhpur, may face demands for his replacement.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, on the other hand, may not face that problem, as his main detractor, Jyotiraditya Scindia, veteran Digvijaya Singh and Arjun Singh’s son Ajay Singh have all lost. The only seat the Congress won in Madhya Pradesh was Chhindwara, where Nath’s son, Nakul, was the candidate.

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But the Congress has a razor thin majority in Madhya Pradesh.

The party has 114 of the 230 seats and has formed the government with the support of two BSP, one SP and four Independent MLAs. The BJP has 109 members, including MLA Gumansingh Damor, who contested the Lok Sabha polls from Ratlam-Jhabua constituency.

The BJP has already turned the heat on the Congress, with Leader of the Opposition Gopal Bhargava calling for a special session to discuss important issues.

“Once the discussion is over, depending on the developments and consultation with the leadership and organisation, we may ask the Speaker to conduct a floor test,” Bhargava had told The Indian Express earlier this week.