- The recently concluded Karnataka state assembly elections amply demonstrated that citizens desired a stable government with a clear majority to govern for five years. People in the state have had negative experiences with minority governments. We’ve seen how the coalition government formed following election results has panned out over the last decade or so, yielding nothing. Ambitious political parties pulling in different directions had been the norm, making the government’s primary job of effectively governing a miss. Not only that, but a party with no majority in the first place was able to form the government, thanks in large part to the ignominious Operation Lotus – an exercise to entice MLAs to switch sides, which was also seen here.
PC: TNN
- The BJP government’s failure to provide effective administration during its final four years in power needs no further explanation. And the Congress party was astute enough to correctly predict citizens’ dissatisfaction by presenting five guarantee schemes alongside corruption charges as its main electioneering narrative. The anti-incumbency factor, failure to counter charges of ineffective administration, lack of aggressiveness in countering charges of rampant corruption, and last-minute candidate selection all thwarted the BJP’s attempts to retain power. Not only was Congress well prepared in its planning to carry out the carefully chosen guarantee schemes, but it was also meticulous in selecting the right candidates.
- Now that the government has been formed under the leadership of CM Siddaramaiah, the administration has begun to implement the promised free guarantee schemes in earnest. Of course, the opposition parties were skeptical about how the guaranteed schemes would be implemented, despite the advice of financial experts. The additional revenue required to sustain the five guarantee schemes is estimated to be between Rs 55 and 60,000 crores. Supporting promised schemes without a plan for generating the necessary revenue would be fiscally irresponsible. However, the ruling regime appeared confident from the start and made the necessary announcements to put the schemes into action.
PC: Agencies
- Women are now free to travel in all government-operated buses, except a few high-end buses. State women have begun to take advantage of the scheme in large numbers. The other promise of free power up to 200 units is about to take flight, but only under certain conditions. This has coincided with a large power bill for June, prompting several industries to protest the government’s move to generate additional revenue to sustain the freebies. Other guarantee schemes are also set to be implemented in the coming days. In a nutshell, the Congress government has begun on a positive note, and citizens fervently hope that this trend continues.
