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 The isms have taken a back seat and have been replaced by sheer political opportunism and crass aggrandizement for power.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.