BJP Needs A Sixer

The party needs to win at least six of the 15 bypoll seats to remain in power, but cadre discontent at the local level threatens to upset plans

- Aravind Gowda

The December 5 bypolls for 15 assembly seats in Karnataka are turning into a nerve-wracking contest for the BJP, which must overcome local discontent and win at least six seats to remain in power.

The bypolls were necessitated as the strength of the 225-member state assembly dropped to 208 following the disqualification of 17 MLAs (13 from the Congress, three of the Janata Dal-Secular or JD(S) and one Independent). Sixteen of them had joined the BJP. Elections, though, are being held for 15 seats as petitions relating to the 2018 assembly polls in Maski and Rajarajeshwari Nagar are pending in court. The results will be out on December 9. The BJP, which has a strength of 106 (including the speaker and one Independent), needs another 6-7 MLAs to achieve a simple majority of 112 in the reduced 223-member house.