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