- People closely following the fortunes of the political churnings in India must have their eyes and ears gleefully glued to the happenings in Karnataka’s fast-evolving scenario, where the two top leaders of the Congress’s ruling dispensation in the state are vying for the Chief Minister’s chair. The incumbent, a champion of the disadvantaged strata of society, has expressed his willingness to not only continue to head the government till its full term but also is forcefully piling on pressure on the high command to allow him to reshuffle the cabinet to consolidate his hold at the helm of affairs. On the other hand, the Deputy Chief Minister is staking a claim to head the government on the back of a secret power-sharing pact agreed between the two tall leaders a few years back.
PC: The Hindu
- To add to the muddy waters already appearing increasingly muddier, the seers representing the influential farming community that the DCM represents are voicing opinions to have the power-sharing pact come to fruition sooner rather than later in his favour. In all this, the high command, headed by the Family’s scion, appears to have run out of ideas to appropriately handle the increasingly vociferous claims/counterclaims from the two powerful camps supporting their leaders. On the prodding of the high command, two high-profile breakfast meetings have been held with optics of the leaders sharing a hearty meal, grabbing all the attention. The bonhomie exhibited by the leadership will serve the optics of togetherness, but obviously lacks substance.
PC: Moneycontrol
- The inane and routine pleasantries apart, where the two are playing to the camera, showcasing camaraderie by issuing statements of both working together like brothers for the good of the party, for the state, and the country. This does not cut much ice with the discerning public isstating the obvious. The citizens of the state are too aware of the simmering contention between the two to head the state government with unadulteratedly brazen claims for the big chair. As is their wont, the outcome of the two breakfast meetings has only helped serve the optics for the general public’s consumption, apart from the palate of the two leaders partaking of sumptuous dishes. Last heard, the DCM has reached Delhi to speed up his bid. This isn’t surprising either.
PC: The Commune
- The moot point to ponder over here is how the Congress top brass would be planning to address the issue. This must be causing a severe headache for them. Mind you, Karnataka is the only major state where the Grand Old Party is at the helm of affairs. Going by the look of things, the governance in the state is already mired in two power centers that are hell bent on assuming the reign of the state come what may. The crumbling infrastructure, especially in the state capital Bengaluru, has become an eyesore, with the industry leaders calling it out incessantly. As such, the sooner the high command steps in to ensure a finality to the power grab on display, that much better it would be for the state to get on with developmental tasks. Hopefully, it will be soon.
