April 14, 2013:
Political uncertainty stares at the face of Karnataka, even as the state is preparing for the crucial assembly election scheduled next month, Will this bring an end to the nearly decade era political profligacy that has marked the nearly decade old period of 2004-2013, spanned by two elections.?
The drift, as a consequence of hung verdict leading to the ushering of the coalition era after the 2004 election, was compounded by the manner in which the BJP squandered the trust reposed in it by the electorate in 2008. The price paid in terms of development and governance is too heavy to be wished away.
Nobody who has been witnessing the murky goings on in all the parties, over the party nominations to fight elections, with the party hopping phenomenon manifesting more as a rule than exception, is prepared to wager any bet as to what is held in store for them in the coming elections.
The drift that the state has been experiencing since 2004 has been basically a product of a serious crisis of the leadership, which has afflicted the political system in the state. The Congress for example has no leader with some measures of credibility and ability. Outside the Congress, the situation is rather reverse. There are battle scarred generals, but they are not only discredited but have no worthwhile army to lead.
The position of the Congress, in Karnataka is perhaps most pitiable. Here is the national party, which has ruled Karnataka, for more than three and half decades, with the first two and half decades without a break and without any challenge and another ten years in two spells overcoming opposition.
But it does not a single leader, who can inspire confidence not only among the party workers and inspire the people who have become quite pessimistic. But it is woefully short of leaders, with a pan Karnataka image and record of proven ability. On the face of it this appears surprising because the party has surfeit of them, who are never tired of projecting themselves as chief ministerial candidates, whenever elections come. But they belong what can be described as the exofficio category, which derive their name and fame from the positions held and not through intrinsic credentials of leadership. Siddaramaiah who roared like a lion when in opposition has become mere lamb like any others and is forced to join the crowd comprising of rank junior politicians like Parameshwara of the party chief and other fellow congressmen waiting for a benign nod from the central leadership for the possible political break.
This is however not surprising to those who are aware of Congress culture. Ever since the party broke away from undivided Congress, it has chosen to run the organisation and the governments in the state through the imposition of known “yes men” and a disconnect developed between the party, workers and the people. With the high command firmly committed to the policy of centralisation and remote control operations through imposition of men of its choice for the different responsibilities, the atmosphere within the party was hardly congenial for any local leadership to emerge. This was in the context of unhappy experience Indira Gandhi had in wresting power under the old dispensation, when the powerful regional leaders called the tuned.
This is true not only of Karnataka but many other states as well, That the party has paid a heavy price for such policy is however a different matter. But occasionally some bright spots did pop up like oasis in a desert in the form of Devaraj Urs, Gundurao, Bangarappa and Veerendra Patil. But none of them lasted long. Urs, who had ruled for eight long years, perhaps the longest for any Chief Minister in Karnataka, had to go out as he incurred displeasure Mrs. Gandhi. Bangarappa paid a heavy price for daring to cross swords with the then party supreme NarasimhaRao. Veerendra Patil who had led the party to victory in 1989 and wrest power after six years gap was unceremoniously eased out by Rajiv Gandhi. And the position of the Pradesh Congress Chiefs was still worse. They were totally supine. The situation remains totally unchanged even to this day. The embarrassment that Congress faces in this connection is manifest in its marked reluctance to name anybody as the future Chief Minister in the pre poll days. It is simply because none is available or anyone can be picked up for the job in any exigency.
The record of the NonCongress stables has been equally disappointing. Not that there were none to shoulder the responsibility. Having been catapulted to the office of the Chief Ministers, at least three of them, namely Devegowda and his sun Kumaraswamy of the JDS and Yeddhurappa of BJP, spoiled their chances by trying to be overambitious.
Devegowda has been one of the tallest political leaders of Karnataka today. When he was elected as the JD chief minister in 1994, it looked as if he is going to have longer innings as the helmsman. But within two years, he left his home base to Delhi to become the Prime Minister. What promised to be a full five year tenure at the top post, did not last even for one year, since on wrong advice, he tried to twist the tale of Congress, which was supporting and paid for his indiscretion. On his return from his political misadventure he could not regain the political foothold in Karnataka. His vindictive action in drumming out his betenoire and founder of Janata Dal late Ramakrishna Hegde pulled the rug under his feet. The Northern Karnataka in general and the lingayats in particular do not trust him and that has cooked his political goose.
His son Kumaraswamy made a mark on the political scene by carving out a good image of himself as the Chief Minister of the JDS led coalition with BJP. His act in reneging on the assurance to hand over power to BJP after the stipulated eighteen months cost him his post and future career also. Today he is struggling to keep afloat the ship of the party, which has only limited reach and scope.
Yeddyurappa of the BJP is the latest of the non Congress politicians, who has willingly squandered the chances that had come to him and find himself unable to rise from the dust. When he assumed office in 2008 it looked as the whole world was at his feet. There was none to challenge his leadership within and outside the party. But within three years, the world collapsed, he went out of the party, His effort to resurrect himself independent of the BJP has hardly any chance of success. And he is condemned to loiter in the political wilderness.
Without Yeddyurappa, the BJP is hardly a fighting unit. The second line leadership cobbled up hurriedly to meet the exigency is hardly able to take the bull of change by its horns, since it had not been groomed for the job. The BJP is now talking in terms of collective leadership, a phrase, which hardly carries conviction with the people. And no other name appears in the horizon to give any possible relief to the people. Meanwhile the people and the state are condemned to suffer.
(Author is a Senior Journalist and Columnist. Mobile: +91 94480 74872 Email :madan.mm@gmail.com)
