The moral reasoning advanced by the Congress and JD(S) failed because the coalition government of these two parties had made news more for their incessant internal squabbles and less for governance.
The BJP has 106 members in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, seven seats short of a simple majority.
The BJP had been trying to woo the Vokkaligas and DKS was harbouring hopes of emerging as the community's political face as fortunes of Janata Dal (S) waned.
BJP may poach more MLAs from Congress and JD(S) to form a government, but by-poll will be the deciding factor.