ALL EYES ON HIM: Governor T.N. Chaturvedi addressing the press in Bangalore on Thursday. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Bangalore: After the swift political developments in the State on Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were at the party office at 8 a.m. here on Thursday.

The top party leaders, including M. Venkaiah Naidu, Senior Vice-President, H.N. Ananth Kumar, General Secretary, B.S. Yediyurappa, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, and D.H. Shankaramurthy, Floor Leader of the party in the Legislative Council, led a group of 76 legislators to the Raj Bhavan to impress on Governor T.N. Chaturvedi to refrain from addressing the joint session of the legislature as the "address has been prepared by a Government which has lost its majority."

Even as the Governor thought that the BJP leaders and legislators had gone there to meet him and treated them to tea and biscuits, the visitors, in fact, registered their protest in front of the Raj Bhavan.

The Governor politely told the BJP leaders that he will stick to the rulebook and go by the request of the State Cabinet.

Interestingly, soon after the emergency meeting of the State Cabinet on Wednesday, Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash and some of the senior Ministers had pre-empted the BJP request by conveying to the Governor that the Cabinet reposed confidence in the Chief Minister and that the legislature session will be held as scheduled.

The joint session of the legislature commenced at 10.30 a.m. with most of the seats on the treasury and the opposition benches empty.

The BJP leaders thereafter requested the Governor in a letter to schedule the test of strength of the Government for Friday as the legislature is in session. It was evident that the BJP feared that given a few days, the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) would indulge in horse-trading.

At a resort on the outskirts of Bangalore, it was another day of fun and frolic for most of the legislators apart from some serious business. But they were unmindful of the hospitality lavished on them at the resort. Their concern was whether they will be accommodated in the new government and what would be their portfolios in recognition of their "selfless services to the party, their constituencies and to the State". For the Janata Dal (S) legislators, who are being ferried in deluxe buses owned by one among them, the worry is thus not the bus ride but whether they will miss the "government" bus.

Janata Dal (S) President, H.D. Deve Gowda, who is known for his deft handling of various political crises, remained indoors but was fully posted with all the latest political developments.

His wife, Chennamma Deve Gowda, who normally keeps away from politicians, exuded confidence that she would bring her son (H.D. Kumaraswamy) around. A large gathering assembled near the Raj Bhavan gate at 5 p.m. to hear the decision of the Governor on the political stalemate. Apart from media men, even political parties had sent their men to the Raj Bhavan to get a quick account of the proceedings.

The news that the test of strength would be on the floor of the legislature a week later came as a relief to the supporters of the Government while disappointing those in favour of installing Mr. Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister.

The group led by Mr. Kumaraswamy, according to sources, has left for a safe location.

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