The constitution of a coordination committee to oversee the functioning of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government in the State is of paramount importance, and this exercise needs to be undertaken at the earliest. In all likelihood, the former Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, is tipped to be the chairman of the committee although his name should find acceptance with the JD(S) leadership, which is purportedly keen to keep him away from any powerful position.
The role played by the coordination committees constituted during the previous coalition governments in the State was not up to the mark, which in a way was one of the primary reasons for the fall of the governments, be it between the Congress and the JD(S) or between the JD(S) and the Bharatiya Janata Party. It should be noted that the Chief Ministers in such governments had never accepted the role played by the coordination committee by refraining from implementing the decisions taken at such meetings, and added to this, the meetings of the coordination committees were never convened at regular intervals.
Apart from the role played by the coordination committee, it is imperative that the leadership of the two parties in the present coalition have a proper understanding.
In other words, the former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, and the former president of the All India Congress Committee, Sonia Gandhi, need to have a good rapport, including regular meetings and telephonic discussions on matters relevant to the present coalition dispensation. This in itself would convey a message to the partymen at the lower levels, although in the case of the JD(S), it is the father-son duo who controls both the party and the government.
At the State level, particularly for a smooth functioning of the government, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara have to ensure that they enjoy a cordial working relationship, with their primary focus being the development of the State more than their respective political parties. There should be a give and take approach more than working to promote their personal and party interests.
Interestingly, the Congress was compelled to constitute a coordination committee during the term of the last Legislative Assembly to ensure a better working relationship between the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr. Parameshwara, and even this did not work satisfactorily although it was a single party rule.
For one, the meetings of the coordination committee were never organised periodically and secondly there was the allegation that the chairman of the coordination committee (then AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka) played on the side of the Chief Minister rather than bring about coordination.
Subsequently, the former AICC president in an attempt to placate the growing resentment of a section of senior party leaders against the Siddaramaiah government had constituted a mammoth coordination committee which failed to deliver the desired results — of honing the performance of the government which could enable the Congress retain power in the State in the Assembly elections held recently. All that the meetings helped was stated to be in yielding to some of the personal demands and vested interests of some key partymen.
In the present instance, the coordination committee, likely to be constituted shortly, will have a tough challenge given the fact that the JD(S) headquarters is based in Bengaluru and the leaders of that party will have an upperhand compared to the Congress, whose bosses cannot be approached by all and sundry. The committee therefore has to keep out recommendations bearing vested interests and instead maintain a judicious approach if it has to ensure a good working relationship between the two parties with the larger interest of working for an effective and good governance of the State.
(The writer is Resident Representative, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy, Bengaluru)
