KJP syndrome ails BJP ahead of assembly polls

Bangalore: Karnataka's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is at its wit's end as it prepares for the May 5 assembly polls. The party does not seem to have a clue on how to shake off the KJP (Karnataka Janata Party) syndrome that threatens to shatter its hope of retaining power in the polls.

The BJP rightly diagnoses that the Congress is its main opponent across Karnataka with the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) posing a challenge to both the parties in some parts of the state. The BJP's actions however show that its main worry is the KJP, headed by the party's former leader B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The KJP is unlikely to win a significant number of seats but has the potential to severely damage the BJP's prospects in the polls to the 225-member assembly that is made up of 224 elected members and one nominated member.

The need for damage control has meant the BJP playing the waiting game to select its candidates as the party is not sure how many of its leaders would desert it to join the KJP. So far Yeddyurappa, who quit the BJP in November last year, has managed to wean away three ministers and around 10 BJP legislators to his KJP.