In 2004, mighty Congress which then had 165 members in the assembly was brought down to 65 on the back of
1. So called Vajpayee wave - read feel good factor
2. Shrewed political calculations of BJP leadership - taking several backward class leaders into its fold, prominently being S. Bangarappa to bloster their electroal prospects and also to get soem of their leaders elected as they had to bite the dust in 1999
3. Genuine need for change - due to corrupt practices of soem congress leaders
4. Anti incumbency.
The scenario after elections in 2004 was:
BJP - 79 MLAs, Congress - 65, JD(S) - 59, JD(U) - 6 and rest were independents.
Clearly for the first time in karnataka politics a fractured mandate. With No party having sufficient numbers by a long way to form any govt.
In the name of Secularism - just to clarify - in the name of anti BJP/RSS way of looking at Hindu walk of life, Congress and JD(S) formed the govt. BJP talked about opportunistic politics of JD(S) and Congress, but what it forgot was the people of karnataka did not respect BJP as well as they were wary of BJPs concept of Hindu walk of life.
Siddaramiah fiasco: creates a flutter in JD(S), and its supereme leader replaces him with MP Prakash as Dy CM. As a result Siddu walks out of JD(S) with 8 other MLAs.In the process, nearing the close of 20montsh of Cong - JD(S) govt...BJP's Yediurappa and JD(S) now leader in the assemble Kumarasway - play the first politics for the sake of power rather than to serve people and jettision the Cong - JD(S) govt.In this process JD(S) looses another Janata parivar stalwart Sindhia.
JD(S) - BJP Govt. - Creation of politics for the sake of power rather than philosophy
By mid 2006 we had the first govt for the sake of power, rather than govt for the sake of philosophy which was created in 2004.Lets reflect the stregnth of assemble in this due course.BJP - 75 in reality though technically it has 79, as 4 members haev left BJP to join other parties.JD(S) - has 49 members in reality, as 8 members are with Siddu and Siddu himself got elected on congress ticket. and scindia is now on his own.The unofficial understanding between Yediurappa and Kumaraswamy NOT any understanding between BJP and JD(S) a govt was formed which was to haev Kumaraswamy as CM for the first 20months and latter 20months headed by Yediurappa.
During this time we had the case where in a member of BJP in the legislative council levelling corruption charges to the tune of 450million on Kumaraswamy.
The saga began on the first week of 20months with allegations of of corruption, playing dirty electoral politics where in mover than 100million was spent by parties to defeat Siddu.Also increase in law and order issue in Mangalore, chikkamangalour and other places in the state.
After 10th month into the new govt, BJP started taking about Raj Dharma and transfer of power from JD(S) to BJP. Not it is transfer of CM position, as they were enjoying political power.It took such feverish pitch that politics was played out through media.
Eventually at the endof 20months, Devegowda, Kumaraswamy et all realised philosophy of life and snapped the govt and transfer of CM position to yediurappa not BJP, as the understanding was between two individuals not between political parties, as there are petition pending in front of speaker about the disqualification of 41 members of JD(S) based on the complain made by Devegowda to the speaker, stating that JD(S)-BJP govt was unholy and he did not recognise it. Eventually JD(S)-BJP govt which came to power based on the understanding between Yediurappa and Kumaraswamy fell out.
Start of Gov. rule in Karnataka -
Gov took the right decision by not dissolving the house on the basis of the supereme court order w.r.t SR Bommai case.Hence the Assembly was suspended.
BJP and importantly yediurappa miffed for not having the CM position launced the Dharm yatra in karnatak touring dists to tell people about the cheating qualities of JD(S) and its leadership. But what they convinently forgot was they themselves had not been blessed in the first place by the people. They came to power based on no common minimum programme or ideology but on the plank of politics for the sake of power and not to serve the people.
Also played out was caste politics by BJP and yediurappa, where in it played out that lingayat community was undermined. The Govt is for the people and the CM is for everyone in the state not just for a single community or caste of society, this fundemental basics of politics was forgotten by BJP.
JD(S) retorted by blaming BJP as communal and its politics as extereme hindiism and only temple politics and not to serve the people. Also what lost out in the din was soem cabinet decisions where BJP ministers did not support but latter went onto claim that they were responsible for it like waiver of farmers loan - is there any audit of who benifitted from this, clearly No as this was just on paper rather than in reality.
In this time JD(S) MLAs, were reluctant to face elections, should say not all JD(S) MLA were reluctant, but majority were and some ministers were depressed they lost their positions as they had paid a heaft price to become ministers.All these MLAs now were hell bent on having a govt.
Resort politics kicked in where in MLAs wanted to form govt either with BJP or Congress whereas the leadership wanted elections. It was authorised to Kumaraswamy, Prakash and Meerajudin patel to look into the nitty grittes of making a govt.
MLAs from JD(S) now clamoured to Prakash to take up cudgels on behalf of them against the Gowda familys control on JD(S).
MP Prakash saga - to revolt or not to against Gowda family - a politician not just for power, but known for serving people, principled politician, ideologist and also a representaitive of karantaka cluture was asked to look at govt formations.
Comming from the socialistic backgrtound he found it easy to talk to Congress than BJP, as JD(S) head honcho and others went snapping with BJP had vented their anger on BJP and accused them of following only temple politics rather than developmental politics.
When Prakash tried to form govt with congress and he held discussion with various small and big leaders of congress against the wishes of devegowda - but kept kumaraswamy updated.When the gowada family got to know that some of the leaders in congress were trying to break JD(S) party acted swifty by instructing his son to re-align with BJP.Why was this, when they had accused the other day of corrupt BJP prolitics.This needs to be dealt seperately.
Devegowda family which is against the likes of Siddu, Shivakumar, Jalappa, Deshpande for the reasons they had the audacity to take on Devegowda aand their family headon rather then toeing their line in politics - In short this was purely to keep the political grip of a family over a party to a minor extent but to keep political revelance of their family in tact. All this was played out just to show one upmanship rather than for serving the people which should haev been the real cause.
BJP and JD(S) now kissing and making up - is no short of opportunitism for beign in power to further their own intertests rather than that of the people of the state.In BJPs case it was to assuage the huge ego of Yediurappa who wanted to becoem CM on the back of his caste and the others in BJP wanted to taste political power for the first time since entering politics.
On JD(S) side it was purely should i say on the part of Devegowda adn family it was purely to say that they wanted political power to haev their family relevance in politcs of the state and nothign else.
Conclusion -
If this is the state of current pol;itics of karnataka, it is pertinent to the people of karnatka to teach these political parties a lessoon, by throwing them out of power adn usher a new politcal class who are interested to serve the people else be more decesive in choosing the right politician or a politcal party to represent them against the curret lot Congress - symbolises feudal and corrupt politics in state, BJP -symbolises caste based, temple politics and politics by hook or crrok in state and lastly JD(S) - worst form of politics karnatak has seen, symbolising coruption, family politics, and more so politics for the sake of one faimly relevance.
Its time for a new phase of politics to being, the options are there it just need to be taken seriously in the form of
1. Mahima Patel who wants to usher in a new politics in the state, based on ideologies and based on serving the people with a cause adn intent.
2. Bangarappa's SP - socialistic form of governance, inspite of beign labelled a pouwer hungry and corrup politician by those against him. His political track record has shown that he was in political power for 4.5 years in his 40odd year political service, he still gets elected because of the love and affection people has given him. He has represented Congress, BJP and left both adn got re-elected on SP ticket, but each tiem heleft parties he never lost out on serving the people, his aim was to serve the people..but such ppl have more enemies than friends...hopefully liek people of shimoga people of karantaka support him, as unliek the current cropof politicians in legislative assembly from Congress, JD(S) and BJP he has always played politics from straight bat unlike politics for th esake of power. If he had compromised in congress just before 2004, he could have been a union cabinet minister, but he did not compromise, he walked out based on his ideology, the same followed whn he walked out of BJP. Atleast we can expect his politics from straight bat as compared to Congress, BJP and JD(S).
3. Elect more MLAs like A.T Ramaswamy, Jayaparakash Hegde - who symbolise crystal clear ideology and intent to serve the people and who haev never been behind political power other than serving people.
Now is the time to usher in the new phase in karnataka politics, it is for the people to decide Now!!!
2 comments:
very comprehansive read,well formated.keep it up!
comprehensive read.
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