Cover Story : Kamal Blooms in South

A new era for
Karnataka and BJP

The month of February has certainly opened a new chapter in the history of Bharatiya Janata Party at the conclusion of its Rajat Jayanti Year celebrations. It is for the first time that BJP has made it to power in any of the southern States in India. The swearing-in of Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy and Shri B. S. Yediyurappa as the new Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister respectively of Karnataka on February 3 has instilled a new spirit in the hearts of thousands of party workers and leaders and sent a wave of joy and jubilation across the country. The party that has always been dubbed as a party of the Hindi heartland, has finally ascended to power in the State that is called the Gateway to the South.

Kumaraswamy-Yediyurappa take oath From Our Correspondent Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy and Shri B.S. Yediyurappa took oath on February 3 as the Karnataka Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, at a brief swearing-in ceremony in Bangalore witnessed by a crowd of 30,000 people. Governor T.N. Chaturvedi administered the oath of office to both of them. 46-year-old Shri Kumaraswamy became the youngest Chief Minister of the State. BJP president Shri Rajnath Singh, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu and other leaders were also present. Others present on the occasion were former Chief Minister Shri N. Dharam Singh, Karnataka Congress President Shri Mallikarujun Kharge, senior JD(S) leaders like former Deputy Chief Minister Shri M.P. Prakash and former Finance Minister Shri P.G.R. Sindhia as well as other legislators of the two parties in power. Thousands of JD(S) workers from Shri Kumaraswamy’s home district of Hassan came to the venue in buses and trucks. Similarly, hundreds of BJP supporters gathered, carrying party flags and banners.

BJP would have come into power twenty months earlier if the Congress had not insulted people's mandate by usurping power in the name of secularism. In the Assembly elections held in May 2004 it was the BJP which emerged as the single largest party in a House of 224. Congress- JD (S) combine came into power and within couple of months it was evident that the Congress was taking the JD (S) for a ride.

The fall of a coalition

Congress and the JD (S) joined hands after the election results were announced only to keep BJP out of power. This negative politics had no positive agenda and soon the Congress started dominating its junior partner. The Congress was involved in playing every dirty trick in the book to contain the influence of the JD (S). The ouster of the then Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramiah became the turning point in Karnataka politics. Siddharamiah launched a new party. With the active backing from the Congress, Siddhramaish’s party participated in panchayat polls and made a big dent in the areas traditionally known as JD (S) bastion. Shri H.D. Deve Gowda has a reputation of the most popular politician among the Vokkaligas but due to the breach of trust by the Congress and the break-away JD (S) faction, the party lost in all Vokkaliga districts except in Hassan, the home district of Shri Deve Gowda.

No wonder it made Shri Deve Gowda furious and he threatened the Congress to withdraw support if it continued flirting with Siddhramaih. The Congress did not take his warnings seriously and the discontentment in the JD (S) peaked so high that the majority of JD (S) MLAs under the leadership of Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy revolted against the Congress-led coalition Government.

When the break-away faction of the JD (S) led by Shri Kumaraswamy met the Governor Shri T.N. Chaturvedi it was clear that the days of Dharam Singh government were numbered. Yet Shri Dharam Singh continued to stick to his chair and when the Governor gave him 9-day time to prove his majority on the floor of the House by January 27, he continued to boast that he had majority.

Making of a new coalition

In the meantime, Congress adopted every means to cling to power. It tried blackmailing, cajoling, even horse-trading and every other trick but without success. The Bharatiya Janata Party jumped in action when Shri Kumaraswamy expressed his wish to join hands with the BJP. Senior BJP leader and former party president Shri Venkaiah Naidu was asked by the BJP leadership to rush to Bangalore and he was instrumental in formation of a new coalition Government with BJP support in Karnataka.

It was decided that the BJP and JD (S) would share power between them by keeping the post of Chief Minister for 20 months each. Shri Kumaraswamy was given the chance first to be the Chief Minsiter of Karanataka with Shri Yediyurappa from BJP as his deputy.

Congress clings to power

Even after the fate of Dharam Singh Government was sealed he was unwilling to resign. On January 27, when the Governor had asked Chief Minister Shri Dharam Singh to prove his majority the Congress conspired not to go in for voting on technical grounds of pandemonium in the House. The House was adjourned sine die without the Vote of Confidence being moved. Political pundits anticipated repeat of what happened in the States of Goa, Jharkhand and Bihar. Congress continued to pin hopes on Shri Kumaraswamy’s father, Shri H. D. Deve Gowda and they hoped against hope that the latter will be able to make him come around.

Before this natak in Karnataka could take a new turn the Governor called Shri Dharam Singh and after meeting him Shri Singh resigned. Later, Shri Kumaraswamy met the Governor and staked his claim to form the Government with support from BJP, promising to prove majority on the floor of the House within a week.

Beginning of a new era

The arrival of JD (S)- BJP combine in Karnataka has brought a ray of hope among the common people that the coalition would become synonymous with good governance and political stability. This coalition could bring a new social equation into reckoning that could spell doom for the Congress. It could bring two powerful communities of Lingayats and Vokkaligas on one platform forming more than 30 percent of the total population in Karnataka.

The arrival of BJP in power in one of the southern States marks a new beginning in Indian politics. It has been a long cherished dream of the BJP to come to power in south to serve the people. The dream stands realised. This development also indicates that UPA Government has started losing its allies at the Centre. What has happened in Karnataka is bound to have its repercussions on the Government at the Centre. It would be interesting to watch how Congress deals with its allies in the wake of Assembly elections in five States this year. (FOC)