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