- People closely following the fortunes of the Indian political churning in the country would have noticed how the only major state governed by the Grand Old Party, Karnataka, finds itself in the limelight not for any outstanding governance aspects, but for witnessing undercurrents of supremacy between the two powerful leaders. In the last year or so, the state of Karnataka has consistently been subjected to a blatant power tussle between the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, asserting about the unwritten pact to share the power when the ruling government reaches the halfway mark. In the beginning, the leaders supporting the two powerful leaders were discreet in mentioning the supposed power-sharing pact. Not anymore.
PC: India Today
- However, as the months passed by, the voices from both ends grew louder and shriller even as the government neared the halfway mark in November. Mind you, both the leaders represent two powerful communities extremely crucial for the survival of the ruling dispensation, with whose support the party was elected with an outstanding majority. Of course, the most common phenomenon observed in the Indian political firmament is the overwhelming reliance on the labyrinthine caste conundrum based on equations not easily decipherable by commoners. Remember, the Congress was elected with an absolute majority on the back of five guarantee schemes that had the electorate shower their blessings unambiguously. Has it worked, though?
PC: News18
- While the government did find itself at the receiving end for failing to devote enough attention and resources towards other necessary governance parameters, since the five guarantee schemes garnered budget allocation. The oft-repeated statements from the treasury benches that there is no dearth of funds for developmental activities fail to cut much ice with the discerning public. The capital city, Bengaluru, especially drew global attention for its crumbling infrastructure, where even basic amenities like motorable roads and acceptable traffic bottlenecks continue to evoke public outrage. Despite assurances, Bengaluru’s notoriously potholed roads and waste management are an eyesore that government authorities are failing to address satisfactorily.
PC: News Arena
- On top of it comes the brazen craving of the two stalwart leaders to assume the role of the head of the government. The high command apparently finds itself bereft of ideas on how to address this simmering discontentment on the leadership tussle what with the supporters from both sides leaving no stone unturned in further turning the heat by claims and counterclaims. As things stand, the two leaders recently had a breakfast meeting at the behest of the high command, offering the usual platitudes about going by the diktat of the higher-ups. The moot point to ponder over here is whether the high command has succeeded in buying the time to cool the mounting pressure. Not really. Expect the issue to raise its head sooner or later.
