Kudos to Kumaraswamy

Kudos to Kumaraswamy
One must hand over kudos to Kumaraswamy, the young chief minister of Karnataka, who has upstaged many veterans to occupy the coveted gaddi. His performanance in the assembly during the motion of confidence on 8th was to say simply superb for the political green horn, who has the distinction of becoming the Chief Minister during his first tenure as the member of the assembly. He was cool as a cucumber, while his Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Yediyurappa lost his cool soon. He took the criticism in his strides, made no bones about his being young and inexperienced and how he needed cooperation from all to carry on further. His reference to his father Devegowda was quite reverential. While talking about the difference in his and his fathers perception, Mr. Kumaraswamy skirted off the issue of Mr. Devegowda’s complicity in the whole happening deftly.
Mr. Kumaraswamy was candid enough to say that the alliance with Congress hardly worked. The trouble started from the day one of the allocation of portfolios and continued since then unfailingly. There was not even one joint meeting of the two legislature parties to iron out differences and perceptions between the two parties.
Secondly, he has also gone on record to say his contact with the BJP are not of recent origin but dates back to the days when the 2004 election results were announced and with the BJP leaders making overtures to them. It was the Congress attitude which was responsible for the parting of the ways rather than any overtures made by the BJP.
This should put a nail on the canard floated by the Congress against the new coalition which has assumed office.
As a matter of fact it was the Congress which was shown in poor light. Their party leaders including Mr. Dharam Singh could not till the last accept with grace that they had lost the race. This had happened on the day Mr. Dharam Singh was asked by the Governor but could not move the motion of confidence. And yesterday also, when the Congress insisted on the division, when the Speaker had put the motion to the voice vote and it was evident to everybody that the number game had turned in favor of the new combination.
While pouring out the venom on JDS for their loss of power, the Congress leaders hardly had any gratitude to express for the pivotal role played by the JDS which helped in renewing the lease for power despite the defeat in the 2004 election. As a matter of fact, the JDS went out of the way to resurrect the political fortunes of the Congress, which were in the dumps, and party, which had got the benefit of the Anti Congress votes, befriended the Congress, which had been voted out of power, which was against the reining sentiments of the electorate.
The least Congress could have done was to express its gratitude to the JDS for all the help it had given in the past and wish it well in its new innings, giving due expression to whatever reservations they had about the new alliance. This was nothing surprising, since Congressmen are known to be bad losers.
(ends) 10:22 hrs. February 9, 2006
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