Shikaripura, May 13: The BJP on Tuesday said unlike the 2004 assembly elections when a fractured verdict led to political instability in Karnataka, the state this time is heading for a decisive mandate and expressed confidence of winning an absolute majority in the 224-member House.

BJP’s chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa said his party would get a "minimum" of 40 of the 89 seats that went to polls in the first phase on May 10.

"First round was difficult for us as you know its (old Mysore region) the stronghold of JDS and Congress. But the second and third phase (in which elections are to be held for the remaining 135 seats on May 16 and 22) is very easy for us because we are strong compared to other parties," he said here in the midst of campaigning for the second phase polls.

He also said the JDS, headed by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, would not win enough seats this time to play the role of ‘king maker’ as it did after the 2004 polls, taking advantage of the fractured verdict. JDS first formed a coalition government headed by the Congress and later Gowda’s son H D Kumaraswamy become the chief minister heading a JDS-BJP Ministry under a power sharing accord with the saffron party.

He said JDS would not win more than 30-35 seats in the entire state. In the 2004 elections, while the BJP emerged the single largest party with a tally of 79 seats, the Congress won 65 and the JDS 58.

Stating that he had toured 150-160 constituencies, Yeddyurappa said: "We are going to get absolute majority. This is a golden opportunity for serving the people of Karnataka." About the party’s coalition government with JDS, Yeddyurappa said BJP knew that JDS would not hand over power to it at the end of the 20-month period in October last as agreed under the power sharing accord.

"Frankly, when I met Atalji (A B Vajpayee) and Advaniji (L K Advani) at the time of the government formation (with JDS), they told me openly they (JDS) are not going to support (BJP) after (their tenure) of 20 months."

He said he told the top BJP leaders at that time that he also believed JDS would not honour its promise but BJP should utilise the opportunity (when JDS headed the coalition in the first 20 months) that it can also give "very good government."

"We didn’t have the experience of running government. So, in the 20 months, I am very happy that our (BJP) ministers did a good work and it was appreciated," he said.
Yeddyurappa, who became BJP’s first ever Chief Minister in the southern state, however, had to resign just eight days after he assumed charge with the JDS going back on its promise to extend support to him.

PTI