Bangalore : For the BJP it has been an embarrassment that it could have avoided – its operation Kamala 2.0 of luring enough ruling party MLAs to topple the Karnataka government having failed.

At least four rebel Congress MLAs had checked into a Mumbai hotel, with whom the BJP leaders were allegedly in touch. In fact, former state chief minister BS Yeddyurappa, with all his over 100 MLAs safe in a luxury hotel in Gurgaon in Haryana, had given hope to the party MLAs when he told them to be ready for some “good news” soon.

The Karnataka drama that began on Sunday last kind of came to a conclusion on Thursday after all the rebel and disgruntled Congress MLAs declaring that they were coming back home. Congress leaders, in Karnataka and in Delhi, charged the BJP with interfering with the mandate of the assembly elections and accused the party of indulging in horse trading.

Two independent MLAs withdrew support to the HD Kumaraswamy government and wrote a letter to the governor declaring that they had withdrawn support to the government. The two MLAs told media persons that they wanted a stable government and government that worked, of BJP.

But, clearly, the BJP failed to muster enough numbers of MLAs to resign so that the magic number could be brought down and the government defeated on the floor of the house.

BJP leaders were indicating that the government would fall on Makar Sankranti, but the prophesy failed to come true.

On Thursday, the BJP leaders said all its MLAs holed up inside Haryana hotel will be returning to Bangalore in a day or two.

In fact, it is the BJP that charged the Congress with attempts to poach its members, which is why it had to save its members and put them out of reach of the Congress party.

Chief Minister HD Kumraswamy had all along been nonchalant about threat his government was supposed to be facing. “I have the numbers. There will be no problem for the government. I will complete the full term of five years, you don’t worry,” was his assertions ever since the drama broke out on Sunday.

Congress, in fact, has threatened to disqualify members who defied the party line and said action would be initiated against anyone working against party interests. Congress party called for a meeting of its legislative party on Friday making it mandatory for all the MLAs to be present.

Action will be taken against anyone absent, was the stern warning given to the MLAs.

Once this warning was out, the MLAs sitting in Mumbai hotel decided to return. With this, the government could heave a sigh of relief that for the present it was safe.