- People aware of the political churning in Karnataka would nod in agreement that the incumbent Congress government has been found wanting on several occasions. Still, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has failed to cash in on adequately despite the ruling dispensation offering several openings on a platter. Recollect how the Congress came to power after promising five guarantee schemes and targeting the BJP’s corruption-ridden governance. The BJP failed to counter the aggressive campaign on the corruption front, conceding the ground to the Grand Old Party to make a spectacular return, winning by a thumping majority margin. One of the most visible reasons for the BJP’s debacle was the glaring lack of cohesion within the party’s state leadership.
PC: The Daily Guardian
- Looking from any angle, the Karnataka political scenario is a microcosm of the nation’s familiar caste conundrum, with two of the most influential Vokkaligas and Lingayats playing the dominant role. The unceremonious removal of BJP’s patriarch, BS Yeddyurappa, and replacing him with Basavaraj Bommai did not go over too well with the ardent supporters. The rest, as they say, is history. Congress formed the government with Siddaramaiah donning the CM’s role and the powerful DK Shivakumar getting the Deputy CM’s position alongside the state presidency. However, the murmurs of rampant corruption in the administration started gaining ground soon after Congress took over the state’s reign.
PC: Deccan Herald
- A slew of allegations involving no less than the CM himself hit the headlines even as the five guarantee schemes saw fruition despite apprehensions about the funds allocation not reaching the beneficiaries on time. The land scam allegations against the CM and his family should have made the BJP brass go hammer and tongs against the ruling dispensation. Unfortunately, the BJP’s internal dissidence has grown from bad to worse in the last couple of months, with the most vociferous of the lot, Basavaraj Patil Yatnal, getting expelled from the party for six years recently. He has been most vocal against Yeddyurappa and his son, accusing them of indulging in dynastic politics even though the BJP always accuses the Congress of the same.
PC: NDTV
- The party that prides itself in calling as different vis-à-vis philosophy/ideology/discipline finds itself cornered with dissident activity gaining traction rather than subsiding. The central leadership palpably took its time to crack the whip despite the signs of dissidence flaring up over the last year and a half. Although the ruling dispensation is also facing a power tussle between the CM and the DCM aided by a slew of allegations, the BJP has spectacularly failed to capitalise on taking on the Congress. Little wonder, the Congress appears unfazed by the sporadic but half-hearted efforts of the BJP to pin down the government, yielding nothing in return. Missed opportunities courtesy of internal discord will hurt the BJP’s prospects in Karnataka. The BJP should set its house in order.
