Increasing political promiscuity in Karnataka
HUBLI, Jan 29,2006
A disconcerting feature of the present day Karnataka politics has been the increasing political promiscuity among the political workers and politics. The isms have taken a back seat and have been replaced by sheer political opportunism and crass aggrandizement for power.
None of the three major political parties in Karnataka is an exception. As a matter of fact, all of them have been found to practice the same with aplomb and without any pinch of remorse. Congress started the ball game by choosing to align with its bitter critic JDS only to retain the power. For the JD the opportunity suited well. The façade they provided for the arrangement – of containing the communal forces hardly fooled anybody.
The BJP was not to be left out in the game. Its leader Mr. B S Yediyurappa, had shown a tendency to break out from the political party to align with the JDS in the past to form the government, which of course did not materialize. Now it has chosen to join with the JDS, a party which has been denouncing it day in and day out in quite strong terms to come to power in Karnataka. Mr. Devegowda a self-styled votary secularist has no compunctions in pocketing the protestations about upholding secularism principles just to bless the unprincipled alliance – which has resulted in his realizing the dream of making his son as a Chief Minister.
More of this tendency was evidenced in the manner in which the Kumaraswamy led JDS and the BJP tried to protect their flock from being poached by other parties. It looked as if the legislators are a chattel, available for sale and the owners taking steps to keep the flock together and resisting any efforts to entice them.
The propriety of the action on the part of the JDS and BJP in protecting their flock and taking them on a tourist binge has come in for sharp comments by the Deccan Herald columnist, Mr. Krishna Prasad, one of the serious and studious journalists of Karnataka. Mr. TJS George the journalist and the editorial consultant of Indian Express has given a brief idea of the money had gone by in providing the shield to the legislators. It is a really a huge some of money.
Obviously somebody has chosen to spend it to achieve his or her own political or personal ends. Who that could be? It would be interesting to probe into the matter. The results would be as revealing as the probe on the “cash for questions scam” noticed in the parliament. But no political party is prepared for a probe. Because their own fat will be on fire. And the tendency goes unchecked. Can anybody bell the cat? This is a question, which begs an answer.
===========ends=============== 23:21 hrs. January 29, 2006.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Aberration ends
An aberration ends
HUBLI, Jan 28
The exit of the Dharam Singh led coalition government brings to an end a political aberration, thrust down the throat of the people of Karnataka by the power hungry politicians.
When the Karnataka electorate returned fractured verdict in the 2004 election, the message was clear. The people had voted out Congress totally and it had no mandate to rule. With none getting the virtual majority on their own, the BJP had emerged as the single largest party with the Congress and the JDS occupying the second and third position.
Looking to the clear and unambiguous message of the people, the need of the hour was the formation of a Non Congress government of the BJP and the JDS. But the Congress sought to come back to the power through the back door with the help of the JDS.
More surprising was the willingness on the part of the JDS to put the Congress government in power despite the mood of the people. The JDS had not won the seats on its own. The electorate in the southern Karnataka area perceived the JDS as a credible anti Congress front, since the BJP was weak and voted for the JDS. After securing the Anti Congress votes, the JDS had no compunctions in befriending the Congress to share the power. Both the Congress and the JDS sought to camouflage their intentions by claiming to keep the communal forces at bay. Kumaraswamy had expressed his willingness to have alliance with the BJP then itself. It had been torpedoed by Devegowda.
This was an unreal coalition, which was plagued by too many contradictions and started tottering from the day one. They worked in an atmosphere of mutual distrust. What made the matters worse was that there was hardly any cohesion between the two. In most of the districts especially in the southern part of the state, the Congress and the JDS had fought a bitter elections and the antipathy continued to be strong. . It had been a beneficiary of the anti Congress sentiments. In the month of December, the two coalition parties fought a no hold barred election to the taluk and zilla panchayats. They were totally confused about who should share the credit or discredit for the performanance and lack of it of the government. The JDS much to his chagrin received a drubbing of lifetime, at the hustings, and Mr. Devegowda had to pay a heavy price for edging out Mr. Siddaramaiah.
The two parties had been placed in a dilemma of managing the institutions where no party had got the majority and where in some cases the Congress was required to befriend with the Siddaramaiah faction. This had infuriated Gowda. Gowda had given a notice that the coalition would be off if Congress were to go with Siddaramaiah in the panchayat raj institutions.
The new coalition, which would assume office on 3rd February, is free from the scourge of internal contradictions. At the ground level their bastions are different. The BJP is strong in Northern Karnataka and the JDS in the southern region. Their common enemy is the Congress in both cases. It is expected to be more durable that the one, which had gone out of office for the simple reason, is that the BJP, which has just come to power, is not expected to pull the rug. It would like to be in the office as long as possible.
The trouble may come after twenty months when the time comes for the JDS to hand over the reins of leadership to the BJP. JDS is expected to kick up some row to wriggle out of the understanding. Nono problem is expected to come within the first twenty months.
The only other feature of the new ministry would be that it would be a totally a new. All those from both sides, who have held office even once, are expected to come together to form the government. Will this be a boon or curse, remains to be seen.
(ends) 28.01.06
HUBLI, Jan 28
The exit of the Dharam Singh led coalition government brings to an end a political aberration, thrust down the throat of the people of Karnataka by the power hungry politicians.
When the Karnataka electorate returned fractured verdict in the 2004 election, the message was clear. The people had voted out Congress totally and it had no mandate to rule. With none getting the virtual majority on their own, the BJP had emerged as the single largest party with the Congress and the JDS occupying the second and third position.
Looking to the clear and unambiguous message of the people, the need of the hour was the formation of a Non Congress government of the BJP and the JDS. But the Congress sought to come back to the power through the back door with the help of the JDS.
More surprising was the willingness on the part of the JDS to put the Congress government in power despite the mood of the people. The JDS had not won the seats on its own. The electorate in the southern Karnataka area perceived the JDS as a credible anti Congress front, since the BJP was weak and voted for the JDS. After securing the Anti Congress votes, the JDS had no compunctions in befriending the Congress to share the power. Both the Congress and the JDS sought to camouflage their intentions by claiming to keep the communal forces at bay. Kumaraswamy had expressed his willingness to have alliance with the BJP then itself. It had been torpedoed by Devegowda.
This was an unreal coalition, which was plagued by too many contradictions and started tottering from the day one. They worked in an atmosphere of mutual distrust. What made the matters worse was that there was hardly any cohesion between the two. In most of the districts especially in the southern part of the state, the Congress and the JDS had fought a bitter elections and the antipathy continued to be strong. . It had been a beneficiary of the anti Congress sentiments. In the month of December, the two coalition parties fought a no hold barred election to the taluk and zilla panchayats. They were totally confused about who should share the credit or discredit for the performanance and lack of it of the government. The JDS much to his chagrin received a drubbing of lifetime, at the hustings, and Mr. Devegowda had to pay a heavy price for edging out Mr. Siddaramaiah.
The two parties had been placed in a dilemma of managing the institutions where no party had got the majority and where in some cases the Congress was required to befriend with the Siddaramaiah faction. This had infuriated Gowda. Gowda had given a notice that the coalition would be off if Congress were to go with Siddaramaiah in the panchayat raj institutions.
The new coalition, which would assume office on 3rd February, is free from the scourge of internal contradictions. At the ground level their bastions are different. The BJP is strong in Northern Karnataka and the JDS in the southern region. Their common enemy is the Congress in both cases. It is expected to be more durable that the one, which had gone out of office for the simple reason, is that the BJP, which has just come to power, is not expected to pull the rug. It would like to be in the office as long as possible.
The trouble may come after twenty months when the time comes for the JDS to hand over the reins of leadership to the BJP. JDS is expected to kick up some row to wriggle out of the understanding. Nono problem is expected to come within the first twenty months.
The only other feature of the new ministry would be that it would be a totally a new. All those from both sides, who have held office even once, are expected to come together to form the government. Will this be a boon or curse, remains to be seen.
(ends) 28.01.06
Friday, January 27, 2006
Congress a bad loser
Congress is a bad loser
HUBLI, January 27, 2006
The Congress is a bad loser. This is the one inescapable conclusion which comes to mind after witnessing the charade of farce of a session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in Bangalore today.
The session had been convened specially to enable the Chief Minister Mr. Dharam Singh to seek the vote of confidence as per the direction of the Governor. But still the Congress avoided moving the motion under one or the other pretext.
By afternoon, it was known that efforts made or entices offered to Janata Dal to continue with the present coalition had failed. That Mr. Devegowda was behind the move made by his son was also evident from the failure of the party to issue a whip to the members on the confidence motion, while Kumaraswamy had come out with a whip to the members to vote against the confidence motion. Mr. Devegowda had in a letter to Antony suggested that Mr. Dharam Singh be better quit.
The fate of the present coalition had been sealed the moment the Speaker announced the recognition of Mr. Kumaraswamy as the Leader of the JDS group. It is known that the Speaker is a JDS nominee and that he would not have done without the knowledge and concurrence of the party supreme Mr. Devegowda.
The propriety of the Speakers action apart, the things should have been clear to the Congress, which had mounted the fire fighting operations at the eleventh hour that the game had been lost. Mr. Dharam Singh ought to have met the Governor and submitted the resignation and honourably quit. It is not clear whatever Mr. Dharam Singh wants to achieve by buying the time and postponing the inevitable. Even if the Congress is prepared to sacrifice Mr. Dharam Singh and offer the Chief Minister’s post, Mr. Kumaraswamy or Mr. Devegowda is not in a position to accept. The mutual suspicion, the antipathy has become so pronounced that there is hardly any meeting of the mind.
But that did not happen. Dharam Singh persisted, questioned the ruling of the Speaker and complained about him to the Speaker, which is something unprecedented for any leader of the house to do. And the delaying tactics were evident from the word go. Perhaps, those souls whose death had been condoled by the assembly must have squirmed in their graves for the concern oozing out of the members.
Another trouble with the Congress is that it is still not prepared to take cognisnace of the fact that the coalition era has begun and that its hegemony is over. The Congress can ill afford to behave as a big brother and expect the coalition parties to kowtow the party. It must learn to live with reality and work with the partner. Should change its mental framework. This is also a lesson for the Congress at the Centre, where it often forgets that it is running a coalition government.
(ends) 27.01.06
HUBLI, January 27, 2006
The Congress is a bad loser. This is the one inescapable conclusion which comes to mind after witnessing the charade of farce of a session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly in Bangalore today.
The session had been convened specially to enable the Chief Minister Mr. Dharam Singh to seek the vote of confidence as per the direction of the Governor. But still the Congress avoided moving the motion under one or the other pretext.
By afternoon, it was known that efforts made or entices offered to Janata Dal to continue with the present coalition had failed. That Mr. Devegowda was behind the move made by his son was also evident from the failure of the party to issue a whip to the members on the confidence motion, while Kumaraswamy had come out with a whip to the members to vote against the confidence motion. Mr. Devegowda had in a letter to Antony suggested that Mr. Dharam Singh be better quit.
The fate of the present coalition had been sealed the moment the Speaker announced the recognition of Mr. Kumaraswamy as the Leader of the JDS group. It is known that the Speaker is a JDS nominee and that he would not have done without the knowledge and concurrence of the party supreme Mr. Devegowda.
The propriety of the Speakers action apart, the things should have been clear to the Congress, which had mounted the fire fighting operations at the eleventh hour that the game had been lost. Mr. Dharam Singh ought to have met the Governor and submitted the resignation and honourably quit. It is not clear whatever Mr. Dharam Singh wants to achieve by buying the time and postponing the inevitable. Even if the Congress is prepared to sacrifice Mr. Dharam Singh and offer the Chief Minister’s post, Mr. Kumaraswamy or Mr. Devegowda is not in a position to accept. The mutual suspicion, the antipathy has become so pronounced that there is hardly any meeting of the mind.
But that did not happen. Dharam Singh persisted, questioned the ruling of the Speaker and complained about him to the Speaker, which is something unprecedented for any leader of the house to do. And the delaying tactics were evident from the word go. Perhaps, those souls whose death had been condoled by the assembly must have squirmed in their graves for the concern oozing out of the members.
Another trouble with the Congress is that it is still not prepared to take cognisnace of the fact that the coalition era has begun and that its hegemony is over. The Congress can ill afford to behave as a big brother and expect the coalition parties to kowtow the party. It must learn to live with reality and work with the partner. Should change its mental framework. This is also a lesson for the Congress at the Centre, where it often forgets that it is running a coalition government.
(ends) 27.01.06
something more on Mr Devegowda
Something more on Mr Devegowda.
HUBLI, 26th Jan 2006
Mr Devegowda has been one politician in Karnataka, who has been thoroughly underestimated. While Karnataka politicians like Mr. Ramakrishna Hegde, Mr. S R Bommai who were his onetime colleagues, had had to pay the price for underestimating the capacity of Mr. Devegowda, it has been the turn of the national leadership of Congress to experience the same now to their chagrin. By one stroke of pen, he has the made the mighty Congress come on bent knees with no avail. Perhaps it is a sweet revenge for him, who had lost the Prime Ministership mainly because Congress ditched him.
Unlike others, Mr. Devegowda is a 24x7 politician. He has no other passion other than politics. He lives and breathes politics all the time. He is busy plotting the moves to ensure the downfall of his adversaries. His elephantine memory makes him remember vividly even the slightest of the humiliation done to him by others. He makes it a point to repay the same in good measure at the opportune time.
The nation they say, has neither permanent friends, nor foes but permanent interests. This can be adapted in the case of Mr. Devegowda also. He has no permanent friends or enemies in politics but only permanent interest of garnering power for himself or the family.
He is good at sporting a poker face. It is very difficult to read his mind. And he hardly means whatever he says. If you take him on the face value, the mistake is yours and not his. He has a habit of talking in riddles, and in the speeches and press conferences also, he would abruptly change the subject, leaving something half said.
His long political innings is replete with occasions, where he has backstabbed his own colleagues and supporters. When he tried to backstab Congress by raking up some cases against the then Party President, Sitaram Kesari, that the latter hit back by withdrawing the support to the UDF government.
His another interesting trait has been that he is pitable when out of power and insufferable when in power. For the sake of power, he can befriend anybody and also throw out anybody once the political utility is over.
In the instant case, he befriended his betenoire Congress in Karnataka to form the coalition government despite the humiliation the latter had heaped on him in 1997. The combination was against the mandate of the people. Having got the benefit of the anti Congress vote, Mr. Devegowda had no compunction in joining the Congress for the sake of power.
This was for the single point purpose of staging political comeback in Karnataka politics. And that he has achieved it by securing the Chief Ministership for his son Mr Kumaraswamy. All the while he has taken care to see hide his real intentions. The emotional drama that he has played over the “rebellion” of his son might have fooled the uninitiated but not the old political hands, who had been studying him. It was an act of brinkmanship. For the public consumption, he appears to be a champion of secularism, who disapproved the action of his son in befriending BJP and for reaffirming his commitment to secularism. But in practice, he has blessed the political adventurism of his, praised him for “saving the party” and achieved the objective of making his son as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. One may also note that the party declined to take any disciplinary action against his son while Siddaramaiah has handled roughly. And the party did not also issue a whip on voting on the confidence. He had scripted the political drama of the ascension of the power carefully. That is Mr. Devegowda. For heavens sake don’t underestimate him..
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HUBLI, 26th Jan 2006
Mr Devegowda has been one politician in Karnataka, who has been thoroughly underestimated. While Karnataka politicians like Mr. Ramakrishna Hegde, Mr. S R Bommai who were his onetime colleagues, had had to pay the price for underestimating the capacity of Mr. Devegowda, it has been the turn of the national leadership of Congress to experience the same now to their chagrin. By one stroke of pen, he has the made the mighty Congress come on bent knees with no avail. Perhaps it is a sweet revenge for him, who had lost the Prime Ministership mainly because Congress ditched him.
Unlike others, Mr. Devegowda is a 24x7 politician. He has no other passion other than politics. He lives and breathes politics all the time. He is busy plotting the moves to ensure the downfall of his adversaries. His elephantine memory makes him remember vividly even the slightest of the humiliation done to him by others. He makes it a point to repay the same in good measure at the opportune time.
The nation they say, has neither permanent friends, nor foes but permanent interests. This can be adapted in the case of Mr. Devegowda also. He has no permanent friends or enemies in politics but only permanent interest of garnering power for himself or the family.
He is good at sporting a poker face. It is very difficult to read his mind. And he hardly means whatever he says. If you take him on the face value, the mistake is yours and not his. He has a habit of talking in riddles, and in the speeches and press conferences also, he would abruptly change the subject, leaving something half said.
His long political innings is replete with occasions, where he has backstabbed his own colleagues and supporters. When he tried to backstab Congress by raking up some cases against the then Party President, Sitaram Kesari, that the latter hit back by withdrawing the support to the UDF government.
His another interesting trait has been that he is pitable when out of power and insufferable when in power. For the sake of power, he can befriend anybody and also throw out anybody once the political utility is over.
In the instant case, he befriended his betenoire Congress in Karnataka to form the coalition government despite the humiliation the latter had heaped on him in 1997. The combination was against the mandate of the people. Having got the benefit of the anti Congress vote, Mr. Devegowda had no compunction in joining the Congress for the sake of power.
This was for the single point purpose of staging political comeback in Karnataka politics. And that he has achieved it by securing the Chief Ministership for his son Mr Kumaraswamy. All the while he has taken care to see hide his real intentions. The emotional drama that he has played over the “rebellion” of his son might have fooled the uninitiated but not the old political hands, who had been studying him. It was an act of brinkmanship. For the public consumption, he appears to be a champion of secularism, who disapproved the action of his son in befriending BJP and for reaffirming his commitment to secularism. But in practice, he has blessed the political adventurism of his, praised him for “saving the party” and achieved the objective of making his son as the Chief Minister of Karnataka. One may also note that the party declined to take any disciplinary action against his son while Siddaramaiah has handled roughly. And the party did not also issue a whip on voting on the confidence. He had scripted the political drama of the ascension of the power carefully. That is Mr. Devegowda. For heavens sake don’t underestimate him..
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Wednesday, January 25, 2006
HUBLI, Jan 26,2006
Panchayat raj institutions have been caught in vortex of political polemics in Karnataka.
In the hype created over the imminent fall of the Congress JDS government in Karnataka, and new combination of the JDS led by Kumaraswamy the son of Devegowda taking over with the support of the BJP, the poor panchayat raj institutions find themselves totally neglected.
The political cataclysmic changes have been product of the hung verdict given by the electorate in the elections to the zilla and taluk panchayats in Karnataka held in December. But all attention in Karnataka is on when the new combination would assume office in Karnataka rather than how exactly the newly elected members of the taluk and zilla panchayats begin their reign.
To be true, none of the three main line political parties in Karnataka were eager to have panchayat elections. They had tried their best to postpone them. But their efforts were thwarted by the intervention of the Supreme Court. Under the circumstances all were very reluctant players in the elections. Though they had some premonition about the effect of the panchayat verdict on the political scene, none of them even in their wildest dreams had bargained for the wholesale change of political equations in Karnataka. The developments may bring far-reaching changes in the political scenario of Karnataka but have certainly not augured well for the panchayat raj institutions, which are eagerly waiting to begin their five-year reign.
The panchayat elections held in December, it may be noted here mark an important phase in the history of the panchayat raj movement in Karnataka. For the first time the State Government had empowered them both functionally and financially to the extent that an amount of more than Rs. 100 crores on an average is kept for the first time at the disposal of the panchayat raj institutions in each of the 27 districts in Karnataka. Two thirds of the amount would come to the newly elected bodies, the taluk and zilla panchayats and their area of operation are clearly demarcated and funds come to them directly. This is for the first time that these institutions have been given the kind of right and responsibility and financial wherewithal to manage their institutions.
But the problem is that whether they can discharge their obligations fully. The functional and financial empowerment had been introduced formally through the budget with greater infusion of funds to the extent of Rs. 2880 crores. This started from the month of April.
But the bodies whose five-year term expired in June-July have remained under the control of the government appointed administrators. The uncertainty over the elections contributed to the further delay. Only this month the administrators are poised to hand over the charge to the people’s representatives. This means for the first nine months of the financial year, these bodies will not be exercising the powers given to them. How much can they do in the last quarter of financial year remains to be seen.
There are other problems, which need to be straightened out for them. All of them have been put on the backburner as a consequence of the political crisis of the ministry formation. Nobody is there to care or listen to the panchayat institutions as such. (ends)
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Panchayat raj institutions have been caught in vortex of political polemics in Karnataka.
In the hype created over the imminent fall of the Congress JDS government in Karnataka, and new combination of the JDS led by Kumaraswamy the son of Devegowda taking over with the support of the BJP, the poor panchayat raj institutions find themselves totally neglected.
The political cataclysmic changes have been product of the hung verdict given by the electorate in the elections to the zilla and taluk panchayats in Karnataka held in December. But all attention in Karnataka is on when the new combination would assume office in Karnataka rather than how exactly the newly elected members of the taluk and zilla panchayats begin their reign.
To be true, none of the three main line political parties in Karnataka were eager to have panchayat elections. They had tried their best to postpone them. But their efforts were thwarted by the intervention of the Supreme Court. Under the circumstances all were very reluctant players in the elections. Though they had some premonition about the effect of the panchayat verdict on the political scene, none of them even in their wildest dreams had bargained for the wholesale change of political equations in Karnataka. The developments may bring far-reaching changes in the political scenario of Karnataka but have certainly not augured well for the panchayat raj institutions, which are eagerly waiting to begin their five-year reign.
The panchayat elections held in December, it may be noted here mark an important phase in the history of the panchayat raj movement in Karnataka. For the first time the State Government had empowered them both functionally and financially to the extent that an amount of more than Rs. 100 crores on an average is kept for the first time at the disposal of the panchayat raj institutions in each of the 27 districts in Karnataka. Two thirds of the amount would come to the newly elected bodies, the taluk and zilla panchayats and their area of operation are clearly demarcated and funds come to them directly. This is for the first time that these institutions have been given the kind of right and responsibility and financial wherewithal to manage their institutions.
But the problem is that whether they can discharge their obligations fully. The functional and financial empowerment had been introduced formally through the budget with greater infusion of funds to the extent of Rs. 2880 crores. This started from the month of April.
But the bodies whose five-year term expired in June-July have remained under the control of the government appointed administrators. The uncertainty over the elections contributed to the further delay. Only this month the administrators are poised to hand over the charge to the people’s representatives. This means for the first nine months of the financial year, these bodies will not be exercising the powers given to them. How much can they do in the last quarter of financial year remains to be seen.
There are other problems, which need to be straightened out for them. All of them have been put on the backburner as a consequence of the political crisis of the ministry formation. Nobody is there to care or listen to the panchayat institutions as such. (ends)
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Monday, January 23, 2006
HUBLI, JAN 24
One may not admire the former Prime Minister, Mr. Devegowda for the means he adopts to come to power. But one has to hand him the kudos for the manner in which he has outwitted the Congress, which had a penchant for taking the coalition partners for a ride in national politics.
Everybody thought that the rustic looking former Prime Minister could be bamboozled by the sheer might of the Congress. He has played his card so beautifully and so close to his chest. Whichever the things may happen, it is now assured that his son Mr. Kumaraswamy is assured of becoming the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. With the support of the BJP, as the things stand today, or with the support of the Congress in case the latter reverses its stand pockets its pride and capitulates before the superior strategic card played by Mr. Devegowda. Look at it any way. It is a win win situation for Mr. Devegowda.
When Mr. Kumaraswamy sprang a surprise by going to the Governor of Karnataka to announce the withdrawal of the support to the Dharam Singh Ministry, and offered to form the ministry with the support of the BJP, many in Karnataka, thought that he was a case where the son was defying his father. Because the father was still talking about the continuance of the Dharma Singh Ministry. Mr. Devegowda had even lulled Mr. Dharam Singh into complacency, as has been candidly admitted by the latter too that by dismissing the reports of Kumaraswamy’s efforts as of nono consequence.
However the old Karnataka hands, who have been closely watching Mr. Devegowda were however not fooled. They immediately said that it was a Devegowda inspired move made in the name of Mr. Kumaraswamy. Immediately a parallel was drawn to the manner in which Mr. Bommai’s Ministry was sent out in 1989. Devegowda then in the party, had put on a poker face, while his lieutenants had been planning for the withdrawal of the support to their own party ministry. One of his supporters led a group of party MLAs to the Governor to announce their intention to withdraw the support and Mr. Bommai was blissfully unaware of it. And a Mr. Venkatasubbaiah, the Congress appointed Governor, immediately obliged by dismissing the government without even giving the opportunity to Mr. Bommai to prove the majority.
In the instant case also the things followed almost a similar pattern. When Mr. Kumaraswamy was finalizing plans for the formation of the next government with the BJP support, Mr. Devegowda continued to pretend that Kumaraswamy had acted out of his brief and would come around. He also gave an impression of a father having been hurt by the antics of his own son and his much published secular credentials having taken a beating because of the antics of his son. All the while he was busy in opening channels of communication with the Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for securing a good deal.
Things began to fall in place, the moment the party spokesmen started spreading the story of the reluctance on the part of the party leadership in taking disciplinary action against Mr. Kumaraswamy and of the party rank and file having agreed with the steps being taken by Kumaraswamy.
Mr. Kumaraswamy fretted and fumed over the insults meted out to his father and his party colleagues by the Congress which had crossed all limits of tolerance. And that he had taken the steps to save the honour of the party and the party leaderships. The other minions in the party also started mouthing the same words.
At present Mr. Devegowda is trying to work out an arrangement with Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for “saving the government”. In the context of the repeated assertions made by Mr. Kumaraswamy that there was no change in the stand of aligning with the BJP, the only inference that could be drawn is that the only way Mr.Kumaraswamy can retrace the step is for the Congress to acquiescence in to Mr. Kumaraswamy becoming the Chief Minister replacing Dharma Singh. There were indications in political circles that Congress may agree to the eventuality, in the context of saving the party led coalition government in the south.
Everybody remembers the famous and the last speech as the Prime Minister in loksabha, while being voted out of office that he would rise like a phoenix . He could not achieve that in national politics but has certainly achieved it by proxy as it were in Karnataka. by planning for a rule in Karnataka in the name of his son.
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1:02:32 AM. 24-Jan-06
One may not admire the former Prime Minister, Mr. Devegowda for the means he adopts to come to power. But one has to hand him the kudos for the manner in which he has outwitted the Congress, which had a penchant for taking the coalition partners for a ride in national politics.
Everybody thought that the rustic looking former Prime Minister could be bamboozled by the sheer might of the Congress. He has played his card so beautifully and so close to his chest. Whichever the things may happen, it is now assured that his son Mr. Kumaraswamy is assured of becoming the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. With the support of the BJP, as the things stand today, or with the support of the Congress in case the latter reverses its stand pockets its pride and capitulates before the superior strategic card played by Mr. Devegowda. Look at it any way. It is a win win situation for Mr. Devegowda.
When Mr. Kumaraswamy sprang a surprise by going to the Governor of Karnataka to announce the withdrawal of the support to the Dharam Singh Ministry, and offered to form the ministry with the support of the BJP, many in Karnataka, thought that he was a case where the son was defying his father. Because the father was still talking about the continuance of the Dharma Singh Ministry. Mr. Devegowda had even lulled Mr. Dharam Singh into complacency, as has been candidly admitted by the latter too that by dismissing the reports of Kumaraswamy’s efforts as of nono consequence.
However the old Karnataka hands, who have been closely watching Mr. Devegowda were however not fooled. They immediately said that it was a Devegowda inspired move made in the name of Mr. Kumaraswamy. Immediately a parallel was drawn to the manner in which Mr. Bommai’s Ministry was sent out in 1989. Devegowda then in the party, had put on a poker face, while his lieutenants had been planning for the withdrawal of the support to their own party ministry. One of his supporters led a group of party MLAs to the Governor to announce their intention to withdraw the support and Mr. Bommai was blissfully unaware of it. And a Mr. Venkatasubbaiah, the Congress appointed Governor, immediately obliged by dismissing the government without even giving the opportunity to Mr. Bommai to prove the majority.
In the instant case also the things followed almost a similar pattern. When Mr. Kumaraswamy was finalizing plans for the formation of the next government with the BJP support, Mr. Devegowda continued to pretend that Kumaraswamy had acted out of his brief and would come around. He also gave an impression of a father having been hurt by the antics of his own son and his much published secular credentials having taken a beating because of the antics of his son. All the while he was busy in opening channels of communication with the Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for securing a good deal.
Things began to fall in place, the moment the party spokesmen started spreading the story of the reluctance on the part of the party leadership in taking disciplinary action against Mr. Kumaraswamy and of the party rank and file having agreed with the steps being taken by Kumaraswamy.
Mr. Kumaraswamy fretted and fumed over the insults meted out to his father and his party colleagues by the Congress which had crossed all limits of tolerance. And that he had taken the steps to save the honour of the party and the party leaderships. The other minions in the party also started mouthing the same words.
At present Mr. Devegowda is trying to work out an arrangement with Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi for “saving the government”. In the context of the repeated assertions made by Mr. Kumaraswamy that there was no change in the stand of aligning with the BJP, the only inference that could be drawn is that the only way Mr.Kumaraswamy can retrace the step is for the Congress to acquiescence in to Mr. Kumaraswamy becoming the Chief Minister replacing Dharma Singh. There were indications in political circles that Congress may agree to the eventuality, in the context of saving the party led coalition government in the south.
Everybody remembers the famous and the last speech as the Prime Minister in loksabha, while being voted out of office that he would rise like a phoenix . He could not achieve that in national politics but has certainly achieved it by proxy as it were in Karnataka. by planning for a rule in Karnataka in the name of his son.
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1:02:32 AM. 24-Jan-06
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About Me
- Mathihalli Madan Mohan
- Journalist with standing of more than fifty years in the profession. Retired as the Special Correspondent of The HINDU and has become a columnist on current affairs, the panchayats and other allied subjects