The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : State politics touches a nadir

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 28, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

State politics touches a nadir

S. Rajendran

For the people, it has been a bitter experience

— Photo: R.V. Moorthy

FALLING APART: H.D. Kumaraswamy and B.S. Yeddyurappa.

BANGALORE: In the popular perception, politics in Karnataka touched a nadir in 2007 with political parties and their principal actors unabashedly shifting their loyalties for short-term political gains. The trend was set by what happened in the New Year in 2006. While the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party came together in January 2006, they fell apart towards the end of 2007 resulting in the State being driven to a spell of President’s rule.

For the people of the State the first taste of coalition politics has been bitter. Three governments in 41 months with the last one headed by the BJP leader, B.S. Yeddyurappa, lasting a mere eight days.

The year began with a great bonhomie between then Chief Minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal (S), and the Deputy Chief Minister, B.S. Yeddyurappa. However, even before the calendar year came to a close the two of them have turned sworn political enemies, all, it would seem, to the benefit of the Congress. If the BJP is angry that it had been “cheated” by the Janata Dal (S), the latter too has accused its erstwhile partner of treachery and a failure to play by the rules of the game.

Given the nature of the serious divisions within all three major political parties —the Congress, the BJP and the JD (S) — the ensuing elections to the Legislative Assembly may well throw up a fractured mandate similar to that of 2004. Adding to this, is the decision of all the three parties to fight the elections independently rather than sign up a pre-poll understanding with one another.

If all eyes were on the Gujarat elections in 2007, it is expected to be on Karnataka in 2008, more so, as the BJP believes that it can ride on a sympathy wave arising out of the Janata Dal (S) dumping it for no plausible reason. The BJP believes that it can independently form a full-fledged Government in South India this time.

If the BJP is grappling with the problem between two factions (one led by the former Union Minister, Ananth Kumar, and the other by B.S. Yeddyurappa), the Congress is ridden with another problem — a growing tiff between old timers of the party and those who have made recent entry.

The Janata Dal (S) faces a problem of another kind. Even as several important leaders of the party have expressed their displeasure over the leadership and deserted the party, Mr. Kumaraswamy, who was slated to take the lead in the party’s election campaign, recently underwent a heart surgery and is convalescing.

The year also marks the entry of the Bahujan Samaj Party in the State’s political arena. While the former Minister, P.G.R. Sindhia, has crossed over to that party, several other senior political leaders of the Congress are expected to shift their allegiance to it.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka