JUBILATION: A section of Janata Dal (S) workers celebrating the formation of the new coalition Government in the State, in Gulbarga on Friday.

BIJAPUR: Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) in Bijapur celebrated the formation of the new coalition Government under the leadership of H.D. Kumaraswamy on Friday.

Most of the senior members of the two parties, who have been camping here, did not prevent the workers from celebrating the occasion. A large number of activists, especially those sympathising with the BJP, came onto the streets and applied saffron colour on one another. They burst crackers at many places, including Shivaji Chowk.

Shivanand Kallur, general secretary of the district unit of the BJP, said workers were ecstatic as their party had entered the corridors of power in the State for the first time. The BJP emerged as single largest party with 79 MLAs in the last elections and naturally, it should have been given a chance to form a Government.

However, the Congress, which lost the people's mandate, came to power through the "secular'' door. It branded the BJP a communal party to keep the latter out of power. At least, now most the Janata Dal(S) MLAs understood the ploy of the Congress and decided to align with the BJP, he said.

Stating that the region had been meted out injustice, Mr. Kallur said the people have high expectations from the new dispensation in which the party has a dominant role. The party members expect the new regime to expedite the Upper Krishna Project.

Fireworks

The celebrations were more pronounced in Bagalkot district. Except in the Guledgud segment, the BJP has its MLAs in all the Assembly seats. Besides fireworks, the party workers took out processions at all taluk headquarters — Bagalkot (also district headquarters), Bilagi, Jamkhandi, Mudhol, Hungund and Badami. There were celebrations even at the village and hobli level.

The president of the Bagalkot district unit of the BJP, Narayansa Bhandge, told The Hindu over phone from Bangalore that the district is sure to have representation in the Cabinet.

Factionalism

Gulbarga Special Correspondent reports:

Infighting and factionalism in the Janata Dal (S) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to the fore during the celebrations here following the swearing-in of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday. The celebrations were a low-key affair in Gulbarga with senior leaders of the two parties keeping away from the functions. Even the celebrations held by a few enthusiastic workers of the two parties were not a joint affair. At the function organised by the BJP near the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose statue in the Nehru Gunj area, none of the senior leaders of the district unit, except the former Deputy Mayor, H.A. Reddy, were present. Even the party corporators did not attend. Only a handful of BJP workers burst crackers and distributed sweets.

Factionalism was more telling among the Janata Dal (S) workers with one faction organising the celebrations near the Chowk Police Station and another holding it in the Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk.

Meanwhile, in Nelogi, the native village of outgoing Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, a sombre mood prevailed. Although the BJP has a presence in the village, none came out to celebrate the occasion. However, in Jewargi town, the BJP workers burst crackers to celebrate the day. Reports from other towns and cities in the district said that the BJP and Janata Dal(S) workers took out processions and celebrated the formation of the new Government.

Protest

Hubli Staff Correspondent reports:

As the 18th Chief Minister of the State took oath in Bangalore on Friday, the twin cities saw both jubilation and protest in reaction to the development.

While the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party members and leaders burst crackers and distributed sweets, the Republican Party of India (RPI) and other organisations staged a black flag demonstration to express their protest.

The RPI members gathered at the KC Circle in the morning to condemn the coming together of the BJP and the Janata Dal (S) through a black flag protest. Pitambarappa Bilar, Mohan Hiremani and others said it is sad that the Janata Dal (S), which has been fighting against the BJP, has now joined hands with the same party.

They criticised the action of H.D. Kumaraswamy and called him a "power monger". It is a black day in the history of the State as the unholy alliance will ultimately lead to the Sangh Parivar exercising power through the BJP, they said.

Members of other organisations burnt an "effigy" of the new government.

Jubilation

Meanwhile, members the Janata Dal (S) and the BJP expressed their joy over the forming of the new Government.

Apart from bursting crackers and distributing sweets, they took out processions to celebrate what they termed as "victory of democracy". Decorated bullock carts carrying portraits of former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and other leaders were seen on a few roads in Hubli.

In Dharwad also members of the two parties burst crackers in jubilation.

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