The water level in all dams and reservoirs of Karnataka has dipped to an alarming level. Bengaluru, the Silicon city, hasn’t received rainfall for more than 150+ days. Once touted as a naturally air-conditioned city, pensioners paradise and what not, it is literally struggling to cope up with the scorching heat. It used to evince rainfall whenever the mercury crossed 36 degrees, but not anymore. These adverse natural conditions contrast sharply with the volume of money that is flowing like water in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka.
Eight Crores for a Ticket
Probably, for the first time in the electoral history of the state, 11 incumbent cabinet ministers have been roped in, through their sons, daughters, wives and relatives, to pump in money bags for electoral gains to the Congress party. These ministers need to ensure the victory of their kith and kin to continue in their power positions, a proposition emerging as a double-edged sword for them. However, the party in power remains the ultimate beneficiary.
Congress party insiders confide that the strategy to field the family members of the ministers into the electoral fray was taken at the top level with Rahul Gandhi, former AICC president and, in the absence of the CM and the DCM. They hint at a payment of around eight crores for entitlement of a ticket with a condition that the party will pay nothing to the candidates for campaigning. Of course, all these aspirants in the fray do not need any resources from the party as all those who have ensured the tickets on their behalf are able to manage whatever funds are required for being worth hundreds and thousands of crores in material terms!
Blame Game Governance
Ever since the Siddaramaiah-led Congress party government took over the reins of the state it has been accused of indulging more in blame game politicking rather than giving corruption free and transparent governance to the public. More than six months have passed awaiting the implementation of the five guarantees promised in the party manifesto, while the state and Congress party government continues to make headlines across the country and elsewhere for all the wrong and silly reasons. The ban on wearing hijabs in educational institutions was revoked and tom-tommed as if a great revolutionary step has been taken.
Anti-Hindu Stance All Along
Siddaramaiah boasts himself belonging to a socialist background and like all ministers, has taken the oath of office and secrecy of doing well to all sections of people. In his earlier stint of five years, he was held guilty of issuing an oral direction not to bring ‘Gilebi’ files for any favours, the fact brought to light by HD Kumaraswamy, the former chief minister and state Janata Dal Secular party president. Gilebi stands for Gowdas (Vokkaligas), Lingayats and Brahmins.
He defended consuming non-vegetarian food after paying obeisance to a well-known Shiva temple and his anti-Hindu stances continue unabated. Siddaramaiah shies away from entering the sanctum sanctorum of Hindu pilgrimages but volunteers to be part of the mass prayers of Muslims, wearing the traditional skull-cap.
Mysuru-Kodagu and Chamarajanagar
Mysuru-Kodagu and adjoining Chamarajanagar reserve Lok Sabha constituencies in the South Karnataka region are attracting undue attention not because of being neighbours. They get connected with Siddaramaiah, the incumbent Chief Minister and a native of Mysuru district, while Varuna, the constituency he represents in the state Assembly is also one of the constituents of Chamarajanagar reserved Lok Sabha constituency.
Both constituencies are being represented by the Bharatiya Janata Party members in the outgoing Parliament. Former State and Union Minister V Sreenivasprasad is Chamarajanagar MP and Prathap Simha represents Mysuru-Kodagu and both of them have been denied tickets to contest. S Balaraj is the BJP candidate and Sunil Bose, son of H Mahadevappa, a minister in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet is the INC aspirant in Chamarajanagar. On the other hand, Yaduveer Wadiyar, the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru dynasty and M Lakshman are the contenders from BJP and INC respectively. The outcome of these constituencies is considered crucial for Siddaramaiah to continue in his present position.
Balakrishna, Mysuru Bureau Chief of Samayukta Karnataka opines, “Dr Yathindra, son of the chief minister had made a mention of the significance of winning in these constituencies for his father to continue as the chief minister, much before elections were announced.”
Now, going by the hectic campaign of the CM, one can understand the seriousness attached to
these constituencies.
BJP geared up for the challenge
Even the BJP has taken the challenge equally seriously by nominating the Mysuru scion. Not only that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister and Janata Dal Secular party patriarch HD Devegowda were made to participate at a public rally in Mysuru.
Yaduveer Wadiyar, a novice to politics had initially rejected rumours of joining politics but has jumped into the fray suddenly surprising everyone by becoming the BJP candidate. Yaduveer Wadiyar’s contest is construed to be a strategy of garnering the public sympathy towards the Mysuru royal kings in the old Mysuru region.”
Results revolve around CM’s chair!
“However, the present question which is haunting the Congress circles is whether the results of these two constituencies will be able for Siddaramaiah to retain or lose his chief minister’s chair. Thanks to the infighting of groups within the party, it is also feared whether there could be a repeat of Koratagere-like debacle where Dr G Parameshwar, then KPCC President was defeated and the party triumphed in the state”, recalls Balakrishna.
The man behind Dr G Parameshwara’s defeat
Dr G Parameshwara, present Home Minister, has the distinction of being president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) for a record number of six years. It was also during his stewardship that Congress returned to power in 2013. He vigorously toured the whole state to bring the party to the winning tables. However, he was not destined to become the chief minister as he lost to a novice in Koratagere, his native reserved constituency of Tumakuru district, although he could have easily thrown his hat for the CM’s seat as the natural claimant for being the KPCC President. Then, it was dubbed and dismissed as a usual debacle. But blatant lies cannot stay hidden for long; the case for Koratagere was no different. Slowly, the facts started revealing the stark truth of Siddaramaiah being behind Dr Siddarameshwara’s defeat.
No surprise in case of defeat in Mysuru
Hunaswadi Rajan, Group Editor of Lok Shikshan Trust publications including Samayukta Karnataka, the oldest Kannada daily newspaper exclaims-“It would not be a big surprise or development if the Congress candidates lose in Mysuru-Kodagu and Chamarajanagar reserved Lok Sabha constituencies. One has to reap whatever he sows”.
Strange Allies
Political interests can bring together people who otherwise have little in common. As William Shakespeare once said, “Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” It is spoken by a man who has been shipwrecked and finds himself seeking shelter beside a sleeping monster. DK Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister cum President, KPCC and chief minister in waiting much before Siddaramaiah managed to grab the chair is aghast of losing the race. He pretends to put a brave face in public by withstanding the result of the race by losing to the latter. That stance is only for public consumption and his desire to occupy the top position continues to haunt him. A former henchman of Ramachandra Kotwal, an underworld don, DK Shivakumar is not a fool to let go of the golden opportunity skip away from his hands, is what old-timers and political observers have to say.
