In an election year, an adverse Cauvery verdict could have swung the electoral fortunes for all three major political parties in Karnataka.
However, as the Supreme Court’s verdict filtered through on Friday morning, there was relief for Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, and the Janata Dal (Secular).
For now, the three parties have expressed satisfaction over the “tone” of the verdict, but have reserved their technical reaction until they’ve gone through the order.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah welcomed the verdict, but said he could react only after going through it. “(However) this is good news for farmers in Cauvery basin and people of Karnataka,” he said.
JD(S) unhappy
However, the JD(S), which filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) questioning the final verdict of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) is not happy with the order.
The former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, during whose tenure the SLP was filed, said: “On the face of it, there seems to be injustice for Karnataka. Verdict belied our expectations.”
While the Congress and JD(S) are expected to take credit for the verdict for “protecting” the interests of farmers, the BJP is expected to be at the receiving end of political comments after the Supreme Court put the onus on the NDA-led Centre to set up a Cauvery Management Board (CMB).
In Tamil Nadu, farmers, AIADMK and DMK want the board to be set up as soon as possible. However, political observers say that “any move” by the Centre on setting up of CMB would damage the prospects of BJP both in Assembly and 2019 poll for Lok Sabha.
For now, former Chief Minister and president of the State BJP, B.S. Yeddyurappa, only said that it had brought relief to Karnataka, while Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda called the verdict a “victory for farmers”.
