Bengaluru, 04 November (HS): The BS Yediurappa led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government has enough reasons to heave a sigh of relief following an olive leaf offered by HD Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and state Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) party president.
HD Kumaraswamy recently announced: Siddaramaiah, former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) may be in a hurry to topple this government and go for elections. But I will not allow that to happen…
The sudden and unexpected move by the self-proclaimed regional peasants outfit otherwise dubbed as father and sons, now grandsons’ party by detractors is not out of any special love and affection for the saffron party or its chief minister but for a well-orchestrated political strategy to exist and thrive.
Of late the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislature party is a divided house and has internally led into multiple diverse factions. Three legislators including H Vishwanath (represented Hunsuru constituency in Mysuru district) former state party president, KC Narayanagowda (KR Pet in Mandya district) and K Gopalaiah(Mahalakshmi Layout in Bengaluru city) have deserted the party and quit their positions.
However, KR Rameshkumar, Assembly Speaker during the JD-S and Congress alliance state government kept the resignations of these three legislators aside and instead disqualified all of them along with other 14 Congress MLAs’.
Siddaramaiah, in spite of being convener of the JDS-Congress legislature parties combine was found to be struggling to get his own things done by the state government. He wrote multiple letters to the then chief minister about the issues to be addressed on a priority basis. But HD Kumaraswamy preferred not to take note.
Even during the 14 months alliance government tenure Siddaramaiah kept on reiterating any a number of time that he will again become the chief minister causing enough embarrassment and irritation to HD Kumaraswamy.
HD Kumaraswamy was also in the habit of rebuking Siddaramaiah during every available opportunity and kept on repeating: I have become chief minister following the magnanimity of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi but not due to the courtesy of the state Congress party leaders!
In spite of being leaders of ruling parties the animosity between HD Kumaraswamy and Siddaramaiah never came down and continued to remain in a subdued manner. But it became evident more clearly and in a candid way after collapse of the alliance government.
Following the collapse of the previous coalition parties’ government a new political arrangement came into being in the state enabling Siddaramaiah to become the new leader of the opposition in the Assembly.
Perhaps Siddaramaiah was also waiting to take up the cudgels. He kept on attacking HD Kumaraswamy and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) party leaders on multiple fronts. With such developments the foes turned friends once again became sworn enemies as they always used to be!
Even after becoming leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah kept on making public his fond dreams of becoming the chief minister once again. To accomplish the goals he unleashed a blistering attack against BS Yediyurappa led BJP government.
Not content with his public diatribe Siddaramaiah also kept on making astrological predictions: The BS Yediyurappa led BJP government will collapse soon after the 05 December bye polls to the 15 Assembly constituencies and I will once again head the Congress government in the ensuing midterm polls.
It looks much more than BS Yediyurappa himself HD Kumaraswamy took the Congress leader’s outbursts very seriously as such an eventuality would also lead to further splits in the faction ridden party ultimately facing the danger of possible extinction!
HD Kumaraswamy wasted no time to hit back at his political foe: Siddaramaiah looks to be daydreaming of becoming the CM again. People in the state are already in distress due to the devastation by the floodwaters havoc and I will not allow further misery on them.
On the face it may appear that HD Kumaraswamy has developed a soft corner to the saffron party government but ground reasons for such change of heart are basically for mere political survival.
One group of legislators are inclined to switch over sides to the Congress while another group is evincing interest to join the ruling party. Another splinter faction consisting members of legislative council is aghast with HD Kumaraswamy and HD Revanna brothers’ highhandedness in party affairs.
At this juncture HD Kumaraswamy felt it appropriate to throw his bombshell of not allowing a snap poll at any cost thus derailing the Siddaramaiah hurried game plan of coming back to power at any cost and as soon as possible.
Probably another prominent vital cause could be the imminent threat of raids by the enforcement agencies belonging to the central government. Many state leaders of Congress party are under the scanner of CBI, Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate departments.
DK Shivakumar, former power minister is out on bail after being behind the bars at police lock up and Tihar jail for more than 50 days. Dr G Parameshwar, former Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president has already visited the tax department on being summoned.
Some more politicians of the grand old party are being quizzed by the CBI officials in connection with the IMA Jewels company scam duping tens of thousands innocent Muslim depositors’.
KC Ramamurthy, retired IPS officer and an owner of group running several educational institutions who had joined the Congress to become a Rajya Sabha Member recently resigned to his membership of Parliament, Congress party and joined the saffron party.
Just like most of his brothers’, as HD Kumaraswamy fondly keeps addressing colleagues and friends in politics he doesn’t claim to belong to Harishchandra clan or dynasty in day to day political affairs.
Late Dr K Venkatagirigowda, renowned Economics professor of the undivided Bengaluru University published two books about the “Corruption” of HD Devegowda, former prime minister and patriarch personality of the Janata Dal-Secular party. But the JD-S supremo moved to the court until both the books were banned.
There is no dearth of skeletons in KD Kumaraswamy cupboards according to his adversaries within the party and those in others. He’s not all that innocent to imagine the consequences of possible raids.
Perhaps with such personal and multiple political angles HD Kumaraswamy seems to have offered a safe passage to the BS Yediyurappa government and thereby ensuring his own as well his party’s survival.
